A Healer's Quest
by HyperFerret
Summary: To help him find the god cards, Kaiba hires a woman with mysterious powers (Complete)
1. Default Chapter

I do not own Yu-gi-oh. All characters and pre-established plots from the series belong to author Kazuki Takahashi. The original characters within the story are my creations and I request that they not be copied or used elsewhere.

Note: Though this story takes place right before the "battle city saga" I have altered Seto and Mokuba's ages to suit the plot better. (Honestly, I think it's a little unrealistic to have a high school student running his own company). In the story, Seto is in his early to mid twenties and Mokuba is about nine or ten years old. Everyone else in the Yu-gi-oh cast is at his or her portrayed age. ****

A Healer's Quest 

By: HyperFerret

Chapter 1

A figure draped in a long brown hooded cloak looks intently toward the city she is approaching. She pauses momentarily, lowering her hood and brushing a piece of her hair out of her face. A warm, furry form brushes against her leg causing her to glance down at her side, where her companion, a sturdy white wolf is standing. The wolf looks up at her friend with anxious gray eyes. 

"It wont be long now Silver." The human whispered reassuringly to the she-wolf. Crooning softly, the animal flattens her ears as her human friend strokes her head. The pair continues to walk toward the city. Shortly now their journey would be over.  

"Help! Somebody help me!" Mokuba Kaiba's cries rang through the air as the two bullies continued to chase him. He had no idea why they had suddenly decided to pick on him, probably just being mean. Whatever the reason, he wasn't about to stop running. His plans took a sudden turn when a third bully appeared in front of him, almost out of nowhere. Mokuba skidded to a stop then turned abruptly, ready to sprint in the other direction, but his actions came to late.

            "Help!" Mokuba shouted again as he was yanked off his feet by the bully that had ambushed him. He squirmed desperately trying to escape the strangers grip. 

            "Stop struggling you little worm, it ain't you we're after!" the bullies voice was harsh and loud, and the fact that he was shouting right by Mokuba's ear amplified his commands 

            "Stop right there!" the unmistakable shout of Seto Kaiba made the bullies jump. Sure enough, much to the relief of Mokuba, his older brother Seto was not far away. He had heard the commotion and was now prepared to settle the score, preferably by the most painful measure imaginable. The bullies seemed undaunted, for they had the upper hand. 

            "I wouldn't try anything stupid, Kaiba," the leader warned "Otherwise your brother might not fare so well." The bully shot a glance at Mokuba, who now hung suspended by the collar of his shirt. Seto scowled furiously. 

            "What do you want?" 

The three punks just smiled. "Isn't it obvious! We want your Egyptian god card." Seto glared coldly. There was absolutely no way he would even think about giving that card up, especially not to a gang of street thugs. "A rare card like that would fetch a pretty penny on the market," the bully continued. "I suggest you hand it over, otherwise…" a thug curled his lips into a devious smile and shot a menacing glance at his prisoner. Mokuba looked at his brother helplessly, how was he going to handle this mess. 

            The answer came quite unexpectedly. A flash of white fur caught Mokuba's captor by surprise. Before he could react, a set of sharp fangs dug into the seat of his pants. Howling in pain, the thug released Mokuba and tried desperately to ward off this new attacker, a large white wolf. 

            Mokuba scrambled to safety beside his brother. Both watched agog as the heroic beast lashed out at each thug with ivory fangs and fearsome snarls. One of the bullies managed to escape the she-wolfs wrath. He returned to the scene armed with a heavy metal pipe, which he aimed for the animal's head. 

Just as before he struck, however, a young woman caught his blow in mid air. Her features were hidden under a satin cloak, but her strength was tremendous. After she stopped the bully's assault, she sent him sprawling to the ground with a fierce punch to the face. The leader of the gang, though torn and bleeding from the wolf's assault, tried to attack the newcomer from behind. He threw his arms around the woman's neck and tired with all his might to out muscle her. Without even flinching the woman reached behind her, seized the attacker and flipped him over her shoulders sending him crashing into the pavement at her feet. Stunned and out of breath, the three gang members finally retreated. The Kaiba brothers looked on as they ran, neither one believing what had just happened.

Mokuba turned to thank the kind stranger who had saved him, but his gaze fell on empty road. Both the woman and the wolf had gone. Mokuba walked forward a few steps in the direction they had left, but he stopped when a shimmer on the street caught his eye. At his feet lay a golden pendent with a shattered chain. 

"It must have belonged to that woman," Mokuba thought to himself as he picked up the trinket from the street. "It probably got broken during the fight." Mokuba showed the necklace to Seto. The charm on the piece of jewelry had a very interesting design. It looked like an ancient symbol. Seto's eyes widened when he saw it. He recognized the marking. It was nearly identical to the symbol Yugi Mutou adorned on that strange millennium puzzle he always wore; the same symbol was also on Ichizu's millennium necklace. But, Seto looked again, this mark was slightly different. There was a pawprint in the center instead of a plain circle. Seto pondered over the charm as he and Mokuba made their way home. Perhaps this was something he should look into, and he knew just the person to ask. 

"I had a feeling that you would be coming." Ichizu's voice echoed out in the quiet of the museums exhibition area. It was eight pm, hours past closing time. Her presence there did not surprise Kaiba; in fact he was counting on it. "You have questions." Ichizu asked, or rather stated. Seto fixed his eyes on the mysterious woman. It irritated him that she always seemed to be a step ahead. He pulled the golden charm from his pocket. 

"Can you tell me anything about this design?" he asked. Ichizu took the pendent from Seto and looked it over carefully. When she spoke again her voice was a dull whisper. 

"This is the crest of the shadow healers…" Seto raised an eyebrow. Ichizu seemed utterly stunned by his discovery. Though she managed to hide her emotions well with a calm face, there was a definitely a change in the woman's tone.

"Shadow healers?" Seto repeated, the title eluding him. Ichizu looked up at Seto once more. Her amazement had sparked an unexpected curiosity in Kaiba. 

"Come with me," she said motioning to a different area of the museum. She proceeded to lead Kaiba to the lower level of the exhibit, off limits to the general public. This area was not unfamiliar to Kaiba, he had been invited there once before by Ichizu, and it was then he had learned of the Egyptian god cards. 

Ichizu continued to walk until they reached a small room, practically hidden in the far corner of the display area. "This," she said as she carefully unlocked the door, "is the archives. All of my rarest and most treasured artifacts are being kept here." The room was nothing glamorous, just a collection of safes. But Kaiba was quick to notice the thick layer of steel that lined the interior. No doubt the room was very well protected. Ichizu turned her attention to the safe furthest to the left on the center wall. After dialing in the correct combination, she extracted a delicate parchment scroll from inside. Carefully she unraveled it for Kaiba to see. 

On the paper was the same strange symbol, an eye with a pawprint in the center. Below it was a picture of a woman draped in a robe. She was holding out her hands as if to offer help. And lowering its head to her was a blue-eyes white dragon. Seto blinked, unsure of how to react. 

"According to the legends," Ichizu began. "It was believed that this race had the ability to tap into the energy of all the ancient monsters in the shadow realm, like a sixth sense if you will. By learning and taming their powers, these people were soon able to help the sorcerers' monsters recover from injury and fatigue they received during the shadow games. That is why they were dubbed shadow healers." Seto continued to stare at the scroll. So a healer could sense the energy of duel monsters. 

"Does the mean they could track the monsters also?" Seto inquired. Part of him felt foolish for even being there, but… what if these stories were true? 

"If they were skilled enough yes," the woman replied. An idea was beginning to form in the recess of Seto's mind, but Ichizu interrupted before he could dwell on it.  

"But they've been extinct for nearly five millennia now. After the pharaoh sealed the monsters away into stone tablets, there was no need for shadow healers…." Ichizu paused when she saw a glimmer in Seto's eye. Had she acted too swiftly? Had she been so absorbed in her own hopes, that Seto Kaiba was finally going to understand his part in history that she inadvertently said too much? "Why are you so interested all of a sudden?" Kaiba fixed her with a cold stare. 

"That is none of your concern," he said snatching up the golden pendent from Ichizu's grasp.  "Now If you'll excuse me…" he turned and left without saying anything.

As Seto walked toward the entrance, his mind was still racing, now even more then ever. Imagine if the race of healers still existed. They could locate any duel monsters card that they wanted in the entire world! They could that is, if the cards were actually alive. Kaiba shook his head. But that wasn't possible, duel monster cards were just that, cards. Nothing but pieces of paper…

Seto left the building and continued onward down the street, completely forgetting about his ride. But than again, what about the heart of the cards? He had seen it for himself on several occasions. It was like the cards had a mind…a soul of their own! But that couldn't be…could it? Seto stopped when he heard his driver call to him. Casually he walked over to the car and got in. He leaned back on the leather cushions and continued to think as he glanced over his deck. Maybe he was overreacting. Kaiba pulled out the golden charm and looked at it. His tournament was only two weeks away and there was still no trace of the other two god cards. What if the _legend_ of the shadow healers was more then just that? More importantly, what if that mysterious woman that had saved his brother was one of them! If that was the case, if she really did have powers, and could locate any card in the world… A sly smile formed on Kaiba's lips. She could prove quite useful to him. Kaiba slipped the pendent back into his pocket. He would have to test her first of course, to see if these ancient powers were a reality, and he knew just the means to do it. 


	2. chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was a lazy Friday afternoon, hot and muggy, the perfect day for seeing movies or going to the local swimming pool, not for shopping. Business at Solomon Mutou's game shop was slow. As usual Mr. Mutou took this time to catch up on his reading, particularly about the new ancient Egypt exhibition they had set up in the city's museum. He was curious to learn if any new information was discovered concerning the cultures relation to duel monsters, that was, after all, his field of study…at least…it used to be. "Ah to be young again." The man sighed recalling the numerous adventures of his youth. 

The familiar sound of bells, accompanying the storefront door opening roused the old man from his thoughts. He glanced up to see a young woman dressed in an amber brown cloak. 

"Well hello there young lady," he greeted the stranger cheerfully. "Can I help you?" the woman approached the counter. 

"Actually, it might be better for me to ask if I can help you." she replied as she lowered her hood. The shopkeeper was baffled by her response. As he tried to think of a reply, Solomon glanced over the stranger. He had never seen her in town before. The woman looked to be in her early twenties. She had long, deep brown hair that was secured in a ponytail. Several strands hung down into her face, oddly though, the tips of her hair, especially the stray strands, were pure white. Her eyes were silver-blue and her stare was piercing. 

Mr. Mutou was going to question her comment when suddenly a large, white animal poked its head over the counter. 

"Good heavens!!!" he cried in alarm. "That's a w..wolf!" The animal whined softly. She had not intended to scare anyone. Panting she lifted her gray eyes and looked innocently up at her human friend. The woman smiled and proceeded to stroke the wolf between the ears. She then shot a warm smile at the storekeeper. 

Seeing that the wolf was apparently no threat Mr. Mutou returned the smile, but he was still curious. Why had this stranger come here, and what did she mean by "it might be better for me to ask if I can help you?" Something around the wolf's neck glinted in the sun. It was a golden charm…a charm that looked very similar to the crest of the millennium puzzle! Perhaps this customer knew something he didn't. 

"I see," Solomon said as he scratched his chin. "Maybe you should come inside…." Mr. Mutou paused when he realized his own rudeness. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?" The stranger brushed a strand of white tipped hair out of her eyes. 

"It's Keira, and this is my companion Silver. Nice to meet you." 

            Mr. Mutou was very curious about Silver's strange tag, but he kept his manners in check, first offering tea and munchies to the pair. Keira declined, but Silver made up for it devouring the plate of goodies herself, much to her companion's embarrassment. After all was settled, Mr. Mutou sat back and began to pour himself a cup of tea. 

"So tell me Keira," he said calmly as he poured the drink "Why have you come all this way just to visit my shop?" Keira blinked. Was it really that obvious that she was a traveler… a glance in the nearest mirror answered her question. Slightly embarrassed, Keira cleared her throat. The reason she had come to this town required a lengthy and somewhat complicated explanation. 

"It's a long story…" she began. Silver perked her ears and raised her head, catching Keira's attention. Someone was coming. Sure enough, seconds later the front door downstairs opened and a young voice echoed through the building. 

"Grandpa I'm home!" As footsteps sounded on the stairs leading to living room, Silver quietly bared her fangs, an unusual act. Keira was just about to question her friend's behavior when suddenly she became aware of a tremendous power… an ancient power coming toward them… 

At the same time, Yugi Mutou entered the room oblivious to the pair of guests until an unusual feeling spread through him. He sensed a strange alluring energy nearby. It was a power he had never felt before. The thought quickly left his mind, however when he noticed the two guests, one human, who had set her piercing eyes on him, the second, a dazzling white wolf. The wolf rose cautiously, determined to inspect the young newcomer to make sure he was no threat. Yugi greeted her with unexpected innocence. 

"Well hello there!" he said as he reached out a hand and started to stroke the wolf's soft fur. Silver was no fool; she could sense the child's strange power better then anyone. She cowered at his touch and rolled submissively onto her back, exposing her vulnerable belly. Keira watched, utterly stunned. Silver had never acted like this before! Yugi continued his greeting as cheerful as ever. 

"Grandpa you never told me you were expecting company." Yugi shot a glance at his grandfather who was still sitting calmly, sipping his tea. Then he turned to Keira and extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Yugi. What's your name?" Keira glanced the boy over, still in shock that someone so small could scare her wolf so badly. 

"Keira, and that's my wolf Silver." Keira said as she took Yugi's hand. The jolt of energy she received nearly left Keira gasping for breath. This boy was the source of that energy she had felt! In the same instant, she felt young Yugi's hand tighten in her grasp; no doubt he had received a dose of her energy as well. Keira quickly pulled her hand away. This was definitely the place she had been searching for. 

            "Well now that you've met, Keira, why don't you finish your story?" Mr. Mutou's voice broke the tension in the air, but not in Keira's heart, nor in his grandson's. Yugi took a seat to listen, but he was definitely more alert, and more suspicious. Keira sighed. There was no point in trying to beat around the bush. 

"I sense great pain coming from one of your monsters, his cries are what drew me to this town." Yugi and his grandpa exchanged glances. That certainly wasn't something you heard every day. 

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Solomon replied honestly. Keira shifted uneasily. How could she possibly explain? It was then that Keira noticed a picture sitting on an end table. It was of the storekeeper and one of his friends. They were both posing for the photograph in what looked like…an Egyptian tomb. Perhaps this wouldn't be as hard as she thought. 

"Unless that photo is mistaken…you studied ancient Egyptian tombs?" The old man beamed with pride, and simultaneously forgot the previous conversation.

"That's right. I was particularly interested in the culture's connection with duel monsters. It sounds crazy, but after all my research, I believe that the game was actually based off of real events that happened in the past." Keira smiled. 

"I believe you. Actually, I'm very knowledgeable in that area of history." Keira leaned forward, resting her gaze on Solomon.  "I'll get right to the point, in all your travels have you ever learned of the shadow healers?" Mr. Mutou thought hard; there was something vaguely familiar about that title. Then it hit him; he did remember hearing about them. 

"If I remember correctly, they were believed to be a powerful race that lived and worked alongside the monster keepers long ago. They somehow had a special ability that allowed them to tame and heal even the most powerful monsters. Most of them were captured and enslaved. They were forced to use their powers to help their masters conquer their rivals." He stopped momentarily to take another sip of his tea. "Such a shame, it was believed that they all died out very swiftly." 

            Yugi watched Keira intently. He was beginning to suspect the reasoning behind this conversation. Solomon on the other hand was to caught up in his own euphoria to notice. 

"Well I must say I am impressed with your knowledge of ancient Egyptian archeology," Keira began. "But your telling is not completely accurate." Solomon blinked astonished. Keira continued. 

"The shadow healers were enslaved, but they were not eradicated. Some did survive through the centuries living and practicing in secrecy. It was during this time of hardship that the race of healers began their custom of life bonding with animals. At birth each healer would be spiritually bound to a wild beast guardian. In return for their protection and guidance, the healer would prolong the creatures life and give them added intelligence." Keira shifted her gaze subtly to Silver. She was wondering if her coincidental expertise on the subject matter had begun to sink in. Solomon as far as she could tell remained naïve, for as she finished speaking he seemed to be continuing to ponder the matter. 

"Fascinating!" he remarked. Yugi on the other hand caught on immediately. 

"How _do_ you know all this?" Just the question Keira had been waiting for. 

"That," she said fixing Yugi and his grandpa with a stare, "brings me back to the reason I came…" Suddenly a symbol similar to that of the millennium items flashed brightly on her forehead, except a paw-print is in the center instead of a circle. It was the ancient symbol of the shadow healers! 

Yugi tensed as his millennium puzzle activated. In a brilliant flash of light, he and Yami had joined spirits again.  

"So…" a much older and confident Yugi remarked. "I see you are a shadow healer I thought I sensed something about you." Keira noticed the change in Yugi's voice and manner, but most of all; she felt the tremendous amount of power he was emitting. 

"That's correct I am a healer…and it appears my intuition about you was also correct." Yami-Yugi wasted no time in getting straight to business. In the deep recesses of his mind, the pharaoh remembered the shadow healers; he knew that their presence was never a good sign. 

"Tell me, why have you come here?" Keira stared unblinking into his eyes, her expression filled with concern.

"One of your creatures was calling to out me, it's because of this pain that I've come to offer my services." Yami-Yugi seemed taken aback. Surely if one of the duel monster cards was in peril, he would have known about it. 

"Really…how strange. All of the monsters here are in mint condition...I don't understand why one would summon you…" 

Solomon stood up; clearly he knew something that his grandson didn't. 

"Not all of them Yugi." With a deep sadness Solomon pulled the torn blue-eyes card out of his front pocket. Once glance at the ruined card sent a wave of agony through the attentive shadow healer. The dragon's pain was unbearable. Yugi and Solomon couldn't have known it, but the creature was screaming.  

Trying to drown out the pain, Keira reached out a hand and gently took the card in her hand. She could feel the monster's suffering pulse through her very fingers.  

"You poor creature!" Keira tried her best to sound soothing to calm the beast. "Who could have done this to you, the king of dragons!" as she spoke, the hurt she felt weakened, and the creature's cries of rage and agony diminished in volume. He was losing strength by the second.  

"He's very weak" Keira said quietly. Solomon looked on with pitiful eyes at his most valuable, most treasured creature. Yami-Yugi shifted his gaze, first to his grandfather, then to Keira. 

"Can you save him?" he asked the healer. Keira had already set to work, searching for the ingredient she needed, a rare magical powder that allowed her easier access into the shadow realm. She found the vial alongside her duel monsters deck, in the leather pouch secured to Silver's back, where she kept all of her most valuable possessions. 

"I can try, I just hope I'm strong enough." Keira pulled the cork out the glass vial. After she set the card on the floor, and spread a fine amount of the powder in a small circle around it. The ring around the card glowed for a brief instant, as the air activated its magic. Then from the ring, a violet vapor, spread into the air. Keira seemed to go into a trance as the fumes surrounded her and the card. Her eyes remained half open, but when Yami-Yugi looked closer he noticed he could no longer see his reflection in them.  Keira's body was still in the shop, but her spirit was in the shadow realm. 

 Keira remained still letting herself adjust to the surroundings. The shadow realm was a draining environment. The intense magical energy could easily drive one into insanity unless they were properly accustomed to it. Keira stirred to her senses as the blue eyes card in front of her shimmered. With a great effort the dragon itself emerged. It took an uneasy step forward and let out a painful roar that fully awakened the shadow healer from her daze. Here in this realm, she could see the full extent of the dragon's injury; a large glowing slit across its middle. Keira rose, feeling the shadow realms affects pull on her body. She walked forward, unafraid of the menacing creature that towered above her. The dragon continued to roar as she gently placed her hands on the gaping wound. The dragon's cries of pain filled the air even as Keira's hands begun to glow. The creatures wound slowly closed until no trace if it remained. The blue eyes glanced down at itself then at Keira, its healer. The beast lowered his head to her as a gesture of respect and thanks. That was the last thing the healer saw, before her spirit was pulled from the shadow realm with a violent jerk. 

Keira opened her eyes and winced at the sudden brightness of the room. Coming out of the shadow realm was always a shock to the system, much more so then going in. Slowly, Keira came completely back to her senses. She glanced up to see Solomon and Yugi staring at her, their faces filled with concern.  

"Are you alright?" young Yugi asked. Keira was quick to notice that he was no longer under the influence of that ancient power. 

"I'll be fine," she responded. It was her standard answer. She hated showing weakness, and she certainly wasn't going to start now. Keira reached over and picked up the card in front of her. Solomon's treasured remembrance amazingly was no longer torn; it also had taken on a new luster. 

"I believe this belongs to you," she said as she handed the card back to its owner. Solomon was utterly thrilled.  

"Incredible! It's just like the day it was given to me! How can I ever thank you!" Keira smiled shyly. 

"Its no problem…really," just as she was about to stand, Keira felt an unexpected wave of fatigue spread over her entire body. Trying to maintain her composure, Keira forced herself onto her feet, but she didn't make it far. Her legs gave out and she toppled to the floor. Yugi was horrified.  

"Keira! Whats wrong!" Keira shook her head as Silver came to offer support. . 

"I …guess I used more energy then I thought." She admitted.   
"The blue-eyes is a powerful card." Solomon noticed the young travelers weakness and he felt slightly guilty. The blue-eyes white dragon was his card after all.  

"Why don't you spend the night here," he suggested. Keira bit her lip, and Silver flattened her ears. They were both wary of offers like that.  Keira tried once again to get up, using Silver for balance. She could barely fight the fatigue here, how could she possibly expect to travel. In reality, there wasn't much of a choice.

"As long as it's no trouble for you." Solomon gave her a welcoming smile. 

"Not at all, we enjoy the company, right Yugi?" Yugi nodded in agreement. Keira sighed heavily. This was a battle she couldn't win. 

"Alright then."


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3

Around ten am the next day, Joey, Tristen and Teá came over to Yugi's for their usual weekend visit. Despite busy schedules now that school had started again, the four friends always made time for their Saturday morning gathering for breakfast at Yugi's house. It had become a welcome tradition, and a great way to escape the stresses of life for a few hours. 

As usual, Joey was "openly stating his opinion" as he called it. Tea and Tristen however, preferred the simple term complaining. 

"So anyways, then I got detention." Joey was saying. Tristen shook his head. 

"Whoa that's rough." 

"Tell me about it!" Joey continued, "You so much as fall asleep in class once and they're all over you!" A sweat-drop formed on Tea's head and Tristen nearly fell over. The three greeted Yugi's grandpa at the door and quickly headed upstairs to meet Yugi. They were surprised to discover a new occupant in the household, curled in blankets, sound asleep on the couch. 

"Hey guys check it out," Tristen remarked upon seeing the newcomer. Joey's face lit up.

"Woah!" he exclaimed. "Its sleeping beauty!" Tea had become accustomed to such comments from both Joey and Tristen, so for the moment anyway, she was able to ignore it. Instead she, as usual, acted as the rational one.  

"Yugi never mentioned he was having company over. I wonder who she is?" Tea commented as she tried her best to shift the topic of conversation. Tristen began to contemplate the situation, but Joey had other things on his mind. 

"Who cares? I think I'm in love!" Overcome with lovesickness, Joey darted over to the newcomer and started to shake her shoulder in an attempt to wake her. 

"Joey don't…." Tea tried to protest, but it was too late. 

"Hey gorgeous!" Joey said with a grin "Wake up your prince charming is here!" Joey got his wish, but the stranger's reaction wasn't exactly what he expected. Rather then being awestruck by his presence after slowly coming out of sleep, the girl was jolted awake and seized Joey by the shirt with one hand, and held a sharply pointed dagger at his throat with the other. 

"Yeeee!" Joey yelped in surprise. Tea and Tristen advanced forward suddenly aware of their friends peril. 

"Joey!!" Tea cried out in alarm. Tristen was about to make a threat to the dagger-wielding stranger, when suddenly he became aware of a low snarl coming from behind. Tristen glanced back over his shoulder and met the gaze of a very large, very angry white wolf.  

"Uh…Tea…" Tristen tapped Tea on the shoulder. Tea turned, took one look the menacing beast and screamed! Her cry was joined with Tristen's holler as the two of them scrambled in the opposite direction of the predator. Soon though, they found themselves trapped in a corner. The wolf crept forward slowly and snarled. 

"Nice…doggie…." Tristen tried as hard as he could not to sound scared, but it didn't work. His trembling knees gave it away instantly. Joey in the meantime was trying desperately to talk his way out of trouble, but to his surprise, the more he babbled, the more angry the stranger seemed to get. Finally he gave up and cried out for Yugi's help. 

Yugi heard the commotion from his room. When he came downstairs, he was in for quite a shock. Keira and her wolf were trying to kill his friends. 

"Keira! Stop! They're my friends!!" Yugi cried in horror. Keira didn't move from her threatening stance, she merely shifted her gaze to Yugi. She could see the truth in his eyes. After fixing one more bitter stare at her captive, she reluctantly released Joey. Stunned, Joey immediately stumbled backwards and cowered behind Yugi. She then gave a silent command to Silver. The wolf abandoned her prey and rejoined Keira on the couch. Keira slipped her dagger back into the holder that she had kept under her pillow, then tied the weapon onto her belt. 

"You're lucky." She said in an emotionless tone to the three trembling visitors. "I could have killed you." 

            "You almost did!" Tristen burst out, his temper flaring. Keira stood and stretched, unnerved by Tristen's shouting.

            "I apologize. I was only protecting myself from a possible threat." Yugi approached Keira, a regretful expression on his face. 

            "I'm sorry if my friends scared you, Keira. I should have told you they were coming." Keira waved off is apology.

            "Its alright, I'm just glad no one was hurt." Yugi smiled and turned his attention back to his friends. He was quite embarrassed when he was met with three blank stares. 

            "Oh right!" Yugi flushed. "Guys this is Keira, she's a traveler." Yugi paused, then he noted the white wolf's presence. "And this is Silver, Keira's wolf. They both needed a place to stay so grandpa and I offered to let them spend the night here." 

            Keira was relieved that Yugi hadn't mentioned the reason for her travels, nor any other personal information. But her relief was short lived. Yugi was not nearly as cautious as she when it came to divulging information, especially to people he trusted. 

            "And you'll never believe this, she's a shadow healer!" Keira wanted to smack Yugi right then and there, but she had to restrain herself. Solomon had chosen just that moment to come upstairs.

            "A shadow what?" Joey asked, utterly baffled. Yugi continued, oblivious to the faces Keira was making behind him. 

            "A shadow healer! She uses ancient magic to heal duel monsters! Grandpa, show them your blue-eyes card!" Solomon could see Keira's unease, so he made it a point to address the matter before he took out his card. 

            "Yugi, that really isn't something you should discuss with people. Keira might not appreciate it." Suddenly aware of his rudeness, Yugi turned to face Keira. Her annoyance was evident. 

            "Oh…" Yugi shifted under the weight of her stare. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were so secretive." Keira gritted her teeth. 

            "It's the price that comes with power." Yugi lowered his eyes in shame. In his enthusiasm, he neglected to see the consequences, a mistake that had happened before. 

            "Don't worry," he tried to sound reassuring. "You can trust my friends…they know about my millennium puzzle." Keira sighed heavily. Yugi was simply too innocent to stay mad at for long. Besides, his friends didn't seem like too much of a threat. A chorus of "yeah don't worries," and "you can trust us's" came from the vicinity of the trio of friends. Keira laughed quietly to herself. They were _definitely_ no threat. 

            "Well…in that case. You can show them Solomon." Yugi's grandpa nodded and pulled out his blue-eyes card. The next few minutes were filled with gasps and gaping jaws, babbled remarks and exclamations. Joey of course was the most outspoken. He demanded, in a polite way, that Keira give an explanation. Keira simply shrugged, she had heard that line before, and she already knew how to answer. 

            "Don't question the powers of a shadow healer, just be glad they still exist to help mankind and duel monsters alike."  

            Not wanting to be a bother, Keira quickly gathered her things. She did pause momentarily to stuff a piece of toast in her mouth, but only because Yugi insisted. Just as she was about to leave, Solomon interrupted her.

"Before you go I insist that you take a card from my shop. You can have any one you want free of charge."  Keira shook her head. During her travels offers like this were common, still she always remembered her manners, no matter how tempting the situation may be.

"That isn't necessary…" she replied. But Solomon was adamant. 

"I won't take no for an answer." Keira sighed heavily. That was the reaction she was expecting. She decided to humor the old man. That at least would allow her to leave without a guilty conscience. She glanced around the shop slowly, her healer powers beginning to activate. She could sense the energy and mood of every creature in that shop. All of them seemed content. Keira bit her lip. Every creature was happy except one. She could hear its restless calls for battle. It was Solomon's blue eyes card. But she couldn't take that card, despite its cries. 

"I sense that all of your creatures are quite content where they are, you take such good care of them…it would be wrong of me to take even one of them away." Keira thought the lie was believable, but Solomon seemed to notice how uneasy she had suddenly become. 

"I have a feeling that this card belongs with you." the old man smiled kindly and pulled out his blue eyes card. Keira was flabbergasted, first that he saw through her lie, and second that he was actually offering her his most precious card!

"I.I couldn't!" Keira stammered. "That card means so much to you…" Yugi's grandpa put up a hand. 

"That's true, it does mean a lot to me, and that's why I'm giving it to someone who will treat it right. The blue eyes white dragon is a natural born fighter. It is its destiny to do battle. It would be wrong of me to deny it that freedom." Solomon extended his hand and presented Keira with the card. The dragon inside was growing more insistent. The healer took the prized dragon gently in her hand, still in disbelief that it was now hers. Instantly the dragon's roars subsided. It had made its decision, but only with great difficulty. In the end, its innate thrust for battle and revenge against the person who had wounded it, won out against even the strongest bond it had with its former master. The dragon did make it a point to inform Keira of its immense admiration for Solomon. 

"I just want you to know that your dragon respects you deeply Mr. Mutou." Keira relayed the dragon's message to Yugi's grandpa. The old man didn't seem surprised.

"I know. Take care now." Keira smiled. 

"I will, and thank you." Keira waved goodbye as she departed from the card shop. With Silver at her side, and a new duel monster ally, Keira continued her journey through the city. She wasn't sure exactly where she was going, but her instincts told her that her business in this town was not over. She didn't know what to expect, but she was not afraid to face it. 

"Seto what are you doing?" Mokuba inquired as he watched his brother type furiously on his laptop. He was very curious to know what was so important, Seto had barely moved from that spot all day. Seto looked up with tired eyes. 

"I'm trying to find out who that woman is." Seto said briefly. He immediately resumed typing. Mokuba looked at his brother puzzled. 

"Why?" This time Seto didn't move. 

"Because she might be the key to finding the other two Egyptian god cards." Before Mokuba could reply, Seto's laptop beeped loudly. Kaiba sat back in his chair; finally he had found the elusive healer. Her picture was in an old issue of duel monsters magazine. Apparently she had won a duel monsters tournament held in a small, secluded town. The area was a great distance away and not very well known, but nevertheless there she was in the front of the picture, a white wolf beside her. The article didn't say much, only that the woman's name was Keira and that her victory in the competition was a stunning upset. 

            Kaiba smiled slyly. With any luck, the god cards would soon be within his grasp, and then he would be unstoppable! The ultimate duelist once again! Kaiba reached for the phone and contacted the captain of his team of guards. He then gave explicit instructions to find the duelist Keira and bring her to his estate. 

            Mokuba tapped his foot impatiently as Seto hung up the phone; he wanted an explanation. Unfortunately Seto was very distracted in his own plans to notice his little brother's curiosity. 

            "We're having company Mokuba." Seto informed him. "Be on your best behavior." With that said, Seto exited the room, leaving Mokuba confused and irritated. He hated it when his brother didn't tell him the details. Mokuba walked over to Seto's computer and glanced at the picture on the screen. 

            "Seto said she was the key to finding the god cards?" Mokuba pulled the golden charm out of his pocket. "But how?"  


	4. chapter 4

Chapter 4

After leaving the Mutous' Keira spent the next few hours wandering along the city streets to no place in particular. She was curious to learn the layout of the town, just in case, for whatever reason, she had to stay there for a while. She stopped to rest at a small café, close to the heart of the city. There she ordered herself a cup of mint tea, and a bowl of milk for Silver. The beverages arrived, and after ignoring an unusual stare from the server, she lowered the dish of milk to the ground for Silver to drink. As she sipped her tea, Keira kept her eyes pealed. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her. A minute later, she discovered her intuition was right once again. 

            A tall man dressed in an expensive suit was approaching the outdoor table she was sitting at. The world-renowned Kaiba Corp logo was embroidered clearly on his front pocket. Silver growled, but Keira silenced her, she was curious to know what this man wanted. He stopped near the table and stared at Keira, who of course, stared right back. 

"Am I currently addressing the duelist known as Keira?" he questioned. Keira raised an eyebrow. How would this gentleman know her name? She decided to play it safe. 

"Who wants to know?" she replied, a stern expression on her face. The man cleared his throat nervously when he noticed the cold stare he was receiving from both the woman and the animal beside her. 

"My employer, Seto Kaiba, wishes to extend his deepest gratitude." The guard began. Keira laughed lightly, a devious smile forming on her face. So it was the Kaiba brothers she had saved the day before; she had thought they looked familiar.  

            "I'll bet he does." Keira responded in a sarcastic tone. In all her years of travel, she had come to know this type of person well. Even if she had helped him, Kaiba would not bother to be so generous unless he was going to get something out of it. The guard was shocked by her reply.  

"Excuse me?" Keira leaned forward on her elbows. When she spoke again, she made sure to make her voice clear. 

"What does he _really_ want?" her burning question was joined by Silver's low growl. The uniformed man shifted uneasily in place and nervously re-adjusted his tie before he continued. 

"Mr. Kaiba asked me to present you with this invitation to his mansion this evening. He wants to thank you in person. It's a rare opportunity, I suggest you take it." The smile did not leave Keira's face as she pondered the situation. Maybe this was the opportunity she had been waiting for…the reason she was still drawn to this town. 

"Hmm," she pondered out loud, "a personal invite from the duel monsters world champion himself." Keira looked over at her wolf. 

"What do you say silver?" Silver licked her lips greedily, a signal to her master that this situation could be quite profitable for the both of them. "Exactly what I was thinking," she responded to her wolfs cue. Keira turned back to the gentleman. "Tell your boss that we accept his invitation." Slightly relieved, the man proceeded to take one step backwards, away from the menacing wolf that never took her eyes off him. 

"Very good. A limo will pick you up here, this evening at seven pm." With his task accomplished, the uniformed man turned abruptly and walked quickly in the other direction. Keira laughed quietly at his cowardice.  She and Silver watched the guard leave with an extra, frightened spring in his step. Once he was out of sight, the healers mind immediately started to race. What business would the duel monsters world champion have with her? Silver glanced up at her friend, her eyes beaming with the same curiosity. "Patience," Keira told herself "you'll find out soon enough."

As promised, a large black limo arrived at the café at exactly seven o'clock that evening. Keira and Silver got in and rested their weary bodies on the soft leather seats. They had just finished touring nearly the entire city and were both exhausted. The pair had nearly dozed off, but were jolted awake when the car stopped in front of the Kaiba mansion. The house was enormous and the landscape just as breathtaking. Kaiba sure knew how to decorate! Keira and Silver made their way to the front door. They expected to be greeted by a stiff looking butler, but instead, the familiar face of Mokuba welcomed them at the door. 

            "Hi!" he said cheerfully "come on in!" Keira and Silver exchanged glances before they followed the youth inside. The interior of the house looked just as elegant as the outside. The floors were made of a flawless pale blue marble, and priceless paintings were hung everywhere. There were also beautiful statues of duel monsters placed all around the house. One monster in particular seemed to stand out most of all. Keira stopped in the main foyer, in front of a life size replica of the blue eyes white dragon. 

            "Beautiful." Keira commented quietly, as the striking features of the statue caught her eye. They were so realistic that they almost fooled her, most likely the only person who had actually seen the real dragons in person. Mokuba smiled. 

            "Glad you like it, it was Seto's idea." Keira nodded as she and Silver continued to follow Mokuba into a large room filled with leather furniture and even more luxurious decorations. 

            "My brother said for you to wait in here." Mokuba informed Keira. The healer nodded her understanding and took a seat on the nearest sofa. Silver stretched out by her friend's feet, resting her body on a lush, beautifully patterned rug. Mokuba flopped on the couch beside Keira. He then pulled a familiar golden object out of his pocket. 

            "This is yours," he said as he extended his hand to Keira, "I found it in the street. It was broken but we fixed it for you." Keira took the charm out of Mokuba's hand.       

"Oh my necklace, thank you!" Keira fastened the charm around her neck. "I wondered what happened to it." Keira had noticed the charms disappearance the evening she stayed at Yugi's, she sure was glad to see it again. It had sentimental value.

"You're welcome." Mokuba smiled playfully before he added. "Thanks for saving me." Keira returned the smile; there was nothing more uplifting then the innocent spirit of a child. Mokuba looked down at the wolf resting on the floor below him. He seemed captivated by her presence. 

"Her names Silver." Keira informed him just as he was about to ask. Mokuba hopped down off the sofa and proceeded to scratch Silver behind the ears. 

"I guess I should thank you too Silver." The she wolf yawned and stretched, comforted by the child's touch. It was then that Mokuba noticed a familiar charm around the wolf's neck. It was identical to Keira's. "Hey she has one too!" Mokuba announced his discovery out loud. Keira nodded. 

"We both have one because it's a symbol of our friendship, a way for us to always know the other is near." Keira reached down and stroked Silver's fur. The wolf crooned and rolled over onto her back, signaling her desire for belly rubs. Both Mokuba and Keira were only too happy to oblige. Mokuba then pulled out the pendent he wore around his neck. 

"I have something like that too see." Carefully he flipped open the card shaped picture holder for Keira to see. The healer gazed at the picture within; it was a childhood photograph of Seto. 

"You and your brother must be very close." Keira said with a hint of both sadness and envy in her voice. Fate had been cruel to her when it came to sharing bonds with other human beings. Nevertheless, Keira was intrigued by Mokuba's innocence. 

"Uh-huh, Seto's always been there for me. No matter what happened, he's never let me down." 

"Your lucky." Keira heard herself blurt out. She didn't realize that her voice was filled with despair, until she caught the concerned stare of the younger Kaiba. 

"Why?" he inquired, not catching on. Keira hesitated, disliking the fact that she was showing weakness, even if it was to a naive child. 

"Because I haven't known many people like that." The healer replied. Mokuba was about to question her answer further, but before he could Seto Kaiba finally made his appearance. 

Silver had heard him coming and was already poised and alert, her ears set forward and her body tense. The elder Kaiba cleared his throat to announce his presence as he entered the room.  Mokuba took this as his cue to leave. He thanked Keira and Silver once more then quietly left the room. Seto ruffled the youngster's hair as he walked past him, then he turned his full attention to his guests. 

"I wanted to thank you personally for saving my brother," he began, but Keira had already heard that speech from the cowardly guard, she wasn't about to hear it again, especially when there were clearly other things Kaiba wanted to address.  

"Cut to the chase Kaiba." Keira demanded rather bluntly. Seto seemed stunned, even insulted that anyone would even think about talking that way to him. 

"I beg your pardon?" he replied, a note of annoyance in his voice. Keira rubbed a hand between her tired eyes. 

"A millionaire such as yourself wouldn't invite a total stranger all the way to their house just to show their appreciation. You want something from me. I'd like to know what." Kaiba smirked; she caught on very quickly indeed. Seto took a seat on the sofa across from the pair of guests; he glanced first at the wolf, whose silver gaze seemed to follow his every movement, then at the woman.   

"Very perceptive. Now that you mention it there is a favor I'd like to ask of you." Keira raised an eyebrow. Finally things were starting to get interesting. 

"Go on." Kaiba looked back at the wolf, this time at the pouch she held on her back. He could see the familiar shape her dueling deck outlined in the leather folds. 

"I noticed you have a duel monsters deck…" he began. Keira narrowed her eyes.  

"You want to duel me?" It seemed odd to her that the world champion would request a match, what was the point, and why would he even bother. Kaiba could see her confusion and tired hard to think of a believable explanation.  

"You showed great courage yesterday, and you're good in a fight. I like that in an opponent." The lie seemed good enough, but apparently it wasn't as convincing as he had hoped. Keira's expression changed from baffled to downright annoyed. Why wouldn't he just tell her what he was really after? It would save them both a lot of time and aggravation. Keira was just about to state her question out loud when a familiar cry sounded in her head. Her blue-eyes was furious, its anger sparked by a vengeful past. The beast's roars were joined by the anxious calls of her other monster allies; they too longed for battle, especially against a player of merit. Keira could not deny her monsters wishes, not after many of them had fought loyally by her side for years. She owed them this fight. 

"Sure I'll duel you," Keira finally agreed, she did however make it a point to add "But don't think I'm doing it for you. I battle only for myself and my monsters." Seto smiled, she had taken the bait and now it was time to spring the trap. 

"Follow me." Seto rose and motioned for Keira to do the same. Mokuba reentered the room just in time to see his brother leave, with Keira close behind. They were heading in the direction of Seto's personal duel monsters arena. 

"I guess they're having a match," he stated out loud. Mokuba glanced over at Silver who had risen and was about to follow her master. The wolf looked back at him. They both uttered irritated groans before they went to join Seto and Keira. 

            Keira looked around curiously as Kaiba led her through his maze of a house. The place was filled with secret passages and hidden areas. After about ten minutes of seemingly endless wandering Keira decided to question her host's destination.

            "Where exactly _are_ we going?" she inquired. Kaiba continued forward, not bothering to turn around. He answered in his typical emotionless tone. 

"To my personal battle arena." Keira was amused by Kaiba's nonchalant attitude, granted he was wealthy beyond reason, that still wasn't something she heard every day.  

"Of course," she responded sarcastically throwing her hands up into the air "why didn't think of that!"

The pair continued onward for a few more minutes until they finally reached the control area of Kaiba's dueling stadium. The arena itself could be seen through a heavy glass window. The room was large and lined with thick layers of steel. Keira glanced at the main consul and whistled in awe. The vast array of buttons and levers was enough to make anyone's head spin. Kaiba snapped his fingers and instantly the stadium was illuminated. 

            "Nice." Keira couldn't resist commenting. Kaiba drummed his fingers lightly on the consul, no doubt proud of his establishment. 

"This is my virtual stadium," he began as if to boast his accomplishment even more, "it utilizes the latest Kaiba Corp technology to bring dueling to new level of realism." Keira leaned forward to get a better look at the dueling arena through the display window. As she did, she delicately tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear in the hopes to distract Kaiba enough so he wouldn't see the gleam in her eyes. When she spoke however, she couldn't disguise the note of intrigue in her tone. 

 "I assume that with the increased graphics you've also heightened…other aspects of the game as well." Seto smiled slyly. 

            "Of course, it adds to the challenge." He paused his smile turning into a sarcastic smirk, "your not afraid of a little danger are you?" Keira laughed quietly to herself a sneer forming on her own lips. After seeing the real monsters up close in the shadow realm, the healer was confident that she could handle whatever degree of realism Seto had to offer, and she made it a point to let him know. 

"Your technology, no matter how state of the art, is no stretch for me." Kaiba seemed slightly taken aback by her response, but he managed to hide it well with a steady tone.  

"Very well then." Seto flicked a few switches on the control panel. Keira saw a warning message come up on one of the monitors. He was turning off all of the safety precautions in the program. This didn't faze Keira in the slightest, but it did however catch the attention of another.  

"Seto what are you doing?" Mokuba's alarmed voice rang out and echoed along the walls. His outburst was joined with a low growl from the wolf that stood beside him. Seto gritted his teeth, he hadn't been counting on his brother's presence. 

            "Mokuba what are you doing down here?" Kaiba inquired, clearly annoyed. Mokuba glared bitterly at Seto. He hated when his older brother did things like this, all it ever lead to was trouble for the both of them. 

"Making sure you don't get someone hurt!" the child yelled. Seto glanced up momentarily from the control board to stare disapprovingly at his brother. 

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Mokuba's protest ended there, whether he wished it or not. Kaiba then turned his attention to Keira who was retrieving her dueling deck from the pouch on Silver's back. "I've programmed your opponent to battle with and exact replica of my deck." Kaiba's words sent a wave of anger through Keira. Did the famous world champion have so much pride that he now refused to duel his opponents in person? 

"Coward!" Keira cried, catching Seto by surprise. "You've developed your machines so much that you cringe behind them! You're afraid to duel me face to face!" It took all the control he could muster not to react to such an insult, but somehow Kaiba managed to stay composed. 

"Oh don't you worry," he replied, "your opponent may be a robot, but I'll be the one giving the orders. I wanted this match to be private, so I'll need to run the controls, but I assure you the duel will be no less challenging." An unexpected smile crept across Kaiba's face, "You might even wish that a robot was fighting in my place." 

Keira tightened her grip on her deck. Kaiba was so arrogant! It made her furious! One way or another, she would be sure to wipe that smile off his face for good.


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5

Keira stood poised at one end of the arena. She closed her eyes as her mind, heart and spirit slowly started to come in sync with each of her monsters. Her senses absorbed everything, from their restless cries, to their vibrant energies. 

          "Ready?" Keira heard Seto's voice ring clear in the earpiece she wore. She opened her eyes and focused her vision on the robot puppet in front of her. Seto had given her both a weakness and an edge. She couldn't read the robots emotions or expressions, like you could with an actual opponent. But on the other hand she could also never feel afraid of threatened by a machine; insuring her optimal performance. Keira tightened her fist, she cold feel the cool metal of Kaiba's duel disk system push against her skin. 

          "Launching holo projectors!" Keira raised her arm and the two small projectors took off like rockets. They landed on either side of the arena. The robot opponent did the same. "Now," Keira thought to herself as she drew her first hand. "Let the game begin."

          Kaiba played first. "I call battle ox in attack mode!" as he spoke, the robot obeyed and the enormous monster appeared, and thanks to Kaiba's enhanced duel disk system the room was also filled with the beasts pungent odor. Keira forced herself to stay composed, but it was difficult. 

"Not bad for an opening move," She thought. Now it was her turn.  Keira glanced over her hand. She noted the presence of Silver fang, darkworld thorns, beast fangs, and polymerization. When used together these cards formed one of her favorite combinations. It was apparent just how badly her monsters wanted to fight, they would insure that she received the perfect set of cards, right when she needed them the most. 

          "I play Silver Fang in attack mode." Keira announced sending her treasured wolf onto the field. Kaiba almost laughed. 

          "You do know that in order to beat my monster, your attack points have to be _higher than mine right?" he taunted. Keira wrinkled her nose.  _

          "Who said I was finished, my turn isn't over yet. I also play this card darkworld thorns." On the field an enormous black mass of tangled weeds appeared next to the snarling wolf. "And now, " Keira pulled out her fusion card. "I'll use polymerization to merge them together." As the card was activated, the writhing mass of thorny branches ensnared Silver Fang and pulled him into the air. The snow wolf roared in fury as it disappeared within the plant. Kaiba watched as a set of glowing eyes become visible from within the mass of thorns. Slowly the branches uncoiled to reveal a new monster, the flower wolf. This creatures attack was higher then the battle ox. 

"Flower Wolf attack!" Keira commanded. The new creature snarled and lunged at its opponent, destroying it with one pounce. Kaiba watched as his life points decreased to 1900. He was not worried in the slightest, especially since unbeknownst to Keira, he already had two blue eyes white dragons in his hand. He only needed two more cards to create his ultimate monster, then the duel would be over. Until then, he decided to keep Keira's hopes up by letting her think she was winning; it was a cruel strategy, but nonetheless, he enjoyed using it. 

          "Now I play rude Kiser in attack mode." Kaiba set his second monster onto the field. This creature had the same attack strength as Keira's flower wolf, he was curious to see how she would defeat it. 

Keira pulled another card out of her hand and put it into play. It was the beast fangs card. When attached to a beast monster, the card upgraded the creature's attack and defense by 300 pts. With its raised attack of 2100 and new set of saber fangs, the Flower wolf made short work of Kaiba's monster. The score was now 2000 to 1600. Keira shifted nervously. This was far to easy, Kaiba was the world champion, surely he had better skills unless… Keira felt her muscles go rigid. He was toying with her, like a cat plays with a mouse just before it strikes. The healer stared forward as Kaiba prepared to make his next move. He sent out the powerful Judgeman in attack mode.         "And I'll play this card, face down." He said as he set an unknown card onto the field before he ordered his creature to attack. With a mighty blow, Kaiba's monster toppled the flower wolf, taking Keira's life points with it. 

          Keira couldn't help but be uneasy. Kaiba was definitely hiding something, and now there was a mystery card on the field to worry about. Keira looked at the creatures in her hand. Which one would be the best to send out? Keira finally picked the creature not only with the strongest attack, but also the greatest battle drive. 

"I call the fearsome red eyes black dragon!" Keira cried as she set the giant creature onto the playing field. She also placed another card face down just in case.  The red eyes roared and sent a giant fireball at Kaiba's Judgeman, destroying him instantly. Now the score stood at 1900 to 1400. Keira was still in the lead, but she wondered how long that would last. It was obvious that Seto was plotting some kind of strategy. During the next turn he revealed just what it was. 

          "Your red eyes is no match for my monster…the legendary blue eyes white dragon!" Keira took in a deep breath as the creature appeared in its entire splendor. Now the healer really started to worry. The only creature in her deck strong enough to take on a blue-eyes…_was_ the blue eyes! She would just have to try to stall and protect her life points until her dragon made his appearance. Keira's look of fear delighted Kaiba, seeing an opponent squirm was one of the greatest pleasures of dueling. Seto leaned back confidently. His dragon could easily obliterate Keira's red eyes, but…where would the fun in that be. It was much more amusing to draw out the match, and watch his adversary suffer. 

"Just for fun," Kaiba smiled deviously, "I won't attack this turn." Keira swore under her breath. Seto's pride would be the end of him…she would make sure of it. 

"First I switch my dragon to defense mode. Then I'll play the magic card, dragon treasure, which raises my red-eyes attack and defense by 300 points, and finally I'll lay a card face down." Keira sighed, she hated to use her dragon treasure card on a monster who would surly be defeated, but the creature had insisted on it, and she would never refuse the will of her monsters. 

          Kaiba's laugh blared in the healer's ear. "You wasted your turn!"  Kaiba sneered as he flipped over his face down card "Because now I activate my trap card, defense paralysis. If forces all your monsters in defense mode to switch to attack mode!" Keira gritted her teeth, she knew what was coming. 

          "White lightning attack!" Seto ordered. His dragon obeyed, sending its attack straight at Keira's red eyes. Luckily she was prepared. 

          "I counter with negate!" Keira flipped over one of the two cards she had placed face down. Kaiba scoffed when his dragon's attack was neutralized. 

          "Running scared huh, well if you think one blue eyes is hard to beat, then how about two!" Kaiba summoned a second dragon onto the field. Keira groaned. There had to be some way to even the score. The next card she pulled had the solution. 

"I'll play this magic card red medicine. It restores five hundred of my life points." Keira flipped over her second face down card and activated the spell. Kaiba just laughed. 

          "You're just delaying the inevitable!" Keira stared coldly at Seto. 

          "Possibly. Or maybe I'm springing a trap. Your blue eyes may be powerful, but lets see them stop this card…tremendous fire!" 

Keira activated the magic card, which her red eyes was all too happy to use. With a powerful blast of fire the dragon took 1000 of Kaiba's life points and 500 of Keira's, making the score 1400 to 400.

Kaiba glared coldly at his opponent. He had not expected a direct assault on his life points; it was a sneaky and quite effective way to battle. Even so, Kaiba laughed quietly to himself, during his next turn everything would change. 

"You've played well," Seto's confident voice send chills down Keira's spine. "But now its time to end this match. I send out my third blue eyes white dragon!" Keira stared up, now meeting the angry gaze of three dragons. Clearly it was these creatures that had been responsible for Seto's victories. "And now…" Seto pulled out the final card to complete his strategy.  "I use polymerization to fuse them into the Blue eyes ultimate dragon!" 

Keira watched, her breath gone, as the three massive creatures merged into one ominous beast. The ultimate dragon roared, then unleashed its unstoppable nova blast attack. The blast of energy made the entire room shake, sending Keira toppling to the ground as it simultaneously shattered her red eyes black dragon. Keira raised her head slowly and watched as her life points diminished to a meager 100. If not for her red-eyes insistence on an upgrade, she would have lost the match right then and there. Keira closed her eyes and thanked all her creatures for their bravery. Despite their effort, it was time, she supposed, to face reality. No monster in her deck could beat Kaiba's beast, and she had no other means of attacking. 

Just as she was about to acknowledge defeat, a deafening roar sounded in her mind.  It was her blue eyes card. He was demanding his chance for revenge against the person who had hurt him…against Kaiba! Keira pulled herself to her feet, her body infused with a new energy. 

Kaiba seemed amused that she had not surrendered yet, even when facing his ultimate dragon. 

"Why don't you give up, there's no way you can possibly win now. My ultimate dragon is one of the most powerful cards in all of duel monsters." Keira rolled her eyes. 

          "I can _see that! You don't need to lecture me about it!" Kaiba was growing annoyed. _

          "Fine then send out your final creature so I can end this." Keira could feel her dragon's anger growing with every second. The time to act was now. 

          "Now my dragon, I summon you! Attack with all your fury!" Keira placed her blue eyes card onto the duel disk, and with a brilliant flash of light the dragon appeared on the arena. Keira's blue eyes white dragon roared so loudly the entire room vibrated with its rage. One glance at his newest opponent and Kaiba went completely pale. 

"It's…its…. not possible!" he muttered in shock. There were _only_ four blue eyes white dragon cards ever made, and only three of them, the three in _his_ deck remained intact, he had insured that personally.  

"Where did you get that card?" Kaiba demanded as he pointed a trembling finger at his opponent. Keira smiled, delighted by Kaiba's reaction, and determined to make him suffer even more. 

"If you must know, a kind old man gave it to me, he knew it wanted to battle…and he was right!" Keira stood still, her body completely tense. Her dragon's rage was out of control. The creature was so furious that it proceeded to tap into Keira's healer powers to boost its attack. Under normal circumstances this was a direct breach of healer etiquette, but this time, Keira allowed it. She herself was fed up with Kaiba's arrogance, and it would make her feel worlds better if she could somehow manage to defeat him. 

Kaiba though still shaken, was not about to lose. He stared angrily at Keira but especially at her monster, whose very existence wasn't supposed to be. His opponent was preparing to launch an attack. .      

"What are you doing!" Kaiba yelled in both fury and confusion, "You don't stand a chance against the blue eyes ultimate dragon! Not even with the blue eyes itself!" Keira smiled deviously, her powers blazing.  

"Is that so, better check again." Kaiba looked over at the display grid for Keira's dragon. The creatures attack points were going up at an alarming rate. Seto continued to stare, his eyes widening as the monsters attack points settled at 4600, 100 points higher then his ultimate dragon! 

"Now blue-eyes ATTACK!!!" Keira cried, pointing a finger at her enemy.  Kaiba could only watch horrified as the supercharged blue eyes let lose a ferocious white lighting attack. The blast hit his ultimate dragon dead on. Keira had to shield her eyes from the explosion that followed; the impact of the assault illuminated the entire room. When the light faded, Kaiba's dragon was no more. 

"Im…Im…Impossible!" Seto stammered almost unable to handle the loss. "How…" the stunned duelist shot a piercing glare at Keira. "How could you… beat my monster!" they were the only words he could manage to spit out.  Keira was utterly delighted with herself for being able to rattle the arrogant world champion. The fact that her blue eyes white dragon had used her powers was a risk, but the results were well worth it.   

"The same way I'm going to destroy the rest of your monsters!" Keira cried with a new streak of bravery. Confidently she pointed a finger at Kaiba. "Now!" Keira shouted into the microphone "Send out my dragon's final victim!" 

Kaiba clenched his hands into fists, trying hard to control his temper. Now was not the time to let his emotions seal his fate. He had to concentrate on the match and hone his dueling skills. He had escaped from tighter situations before, and this match would not be the exception. Seto drew another card; it was the infamous crush virus! Perfect! If he played this card in combination with a monster, then Keira's dragon would be eliminated, and he would be the victor. 

"I call soggy the dark clown in defense mode." Kaiba set his host monster onto the field. Keira was about to burst out laughing, but she stopped prematurely when Kaiba continued his turn. "I'm also placing this card face down." Keira watched Seto's face intently. The game seemed hopeless for him and yet, his face was stern as ever. Something was up, but what? Was Kaiba setting a trap? Or was he bluffing to stall for time? The healer looked at the monster opposing her. The creature's stats were not that impressive, it was a very easy target, perhaps too easy… on the other hand, what if the card face down was a magic card? Kaiba might be able to revive his ultimate beast, or even summon one more powerful than that! She could not take that risk, not when victory was so close. 

"Blue eyes…destroy him! White lightning attack!" The dragon opened its jaws, happy to obey Keira's request. But just before the final blow was struck Kaiba flipped over his face down card. 

"Not so fast! I activate the crush virus!" Keira was horrified! 

"WHAT! A virus!" She watched as Kaiba's clown beast acquired the disease and in the same instant, was shattered by her dragons lightning. 

"Since I infected soggy with this card, he became a host to spread the disease to your entire deck! Now all of your creatures with attack points over 1500 are useless!" Keira felt her stomach lurch at Seto's truthful words.

"No!" she whined, "my dragon!"  The healer watched helplessly as a swarm of tiny viral agents proceeded to infect her blue eyes. The same illness surged through her deck, devastating her creatures. Suddenly Keira felt herself break into a sweat; just as the crush virus slowly poisoned her monsters, it did the same to her blood and flesh. Without even realizing it, she too had caught Kaiba's virus.  

Bellowing out a final roar, the blue eyes succumbed to its fate, depleting his master's life points. Keira sank to her knees; overcome with dizziness and fever. She could barely support the weight of Kaiba's duel disk. 

"The virus!" she gasped, her breathing becoming more difficult by the second, "I caught the virus from my monsters!" The healer forced the dueling contraption off of her hand, it was the only thing she could do with the little strength she had remaining. 

At first Seto mistook Keira's behavior as the shock of defeat, but his gloating quickly turned to concern. Something was definitely wrong!

As Kaiba shut down the controls, Mokuba and Silver raced into the arena to help Keira. But by the time they reached her, she had blacked out completely, as her mind and body continued to be ravaged by the renegade virus.   

Seto carried Keira as quickly as possible to a spare room in his house. Being no medical expert, he wasn't exactly sure of what else he could do. None of Keira's symptoms were familiar to him or any of his staff. It was as if something was sapping her energy and eating her from the inside out. No illness he could think of acted in that manner with such a rapid onset, none except…. Kaiba felt his insides go numb. None except the duel monsters crush virus that he had just played! Was it possible that somehow, Keira had caught the disease just like her creatures had? Did that mean she really was a shadow healer?

Kaiba sat beside the nearly lifeless healer. Guilt and rage welled in his heart at the sight of her. Pale, helpless…possibly dieing, all because he infected her deck with a virus. He had gotten the proof he wanted, but at what cost? 

"What have I done?" Kaiba muttered. Mokuba shot him an angry glare. 

"I knew something like this would happen! You should have been more careful!" Seto gritted his teeth and turned his head away. As much as he hated to admit it, in this case, Mokuba was right. This was a situation he couldn't handle on his own. Seto pulled out his cell phone, ready to call the hospital when suddenly Keira's eyes snapped open. Forcefully she reached up and seized Kaiba by the front of his shirt.  

"My bag…. bring it to me!" Keira demanded. Her words were barked out between gasps of pain. When Kaiba failed to move she forced her eyes to meet his. "NOW!" she cried. Mokuba ran over to Silver, who was lying motionless on a couch in the corner. The she-wolf's eyes were glazed and she was panting almost as hard as her owner. Carefully Mokuba removed the leather pouch from the wolf's back and brought it over to where Keira lay. Keeping her grip on Kaiba's shirt for balance, she searched the bag with her other hand until she found the desired object; a small vial filled with green liquid. It was one of her most powerful medicines, made of rare wildflowers and herbs. The concoction would purge whoever drank it of any illnesses they had, but only those with strong minds would be able to survive the deadly side effects. 

Keira forced the cork out with her teeth and swallowed the brew in one gulp. Almost instantly the drugs effects took hold of her. She collapsed back onto the pillow, her mind and body sinking into quiet sleep. Kaiba looked first at Mokuba, then over to Silver. The wolf seemed more alert, but she did nothing more then perk an ear in his direction before she too closed her eyes. 

Seto stood up, seeing as how Keira had treated herself, there was nothing much else either he or his brother could do there. 

"Come on Mokuba lets go." Kaiba instructed his brother as he turned to leave the room. Mokuba was reluctant. After all, what if something should happen?    

"But Seto!" Kaiba put a reassuring hand on Mokuba's shoulder.

"She'll be fine." The child looked up at his brother helplessly. 

"But." 

"I'll have surveillance on her all the time…don't worry." Kaiba assured Mokuba. Then he proceeded to lead his brother out of the room with a gentle nudge.  "Now lets go. She needs to rest. 

As Keira dreamed, another had sensed her energy. A shadowed figure, adorning a black robe snickered lightly. 

          "At last…" he whispered, "I've finally found you."


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6

Keira awoke slowly, reluctant to leave the peace she found in sleep. The healer felt her senses stir, aware that her wolf companion was not far away. Sure enough, when Keira finally did open her eyes, she met those of Silver who was resting her chin gently on Keira's chest. The healer lifted a hand to stroke the wolf, but a searing pain stopped her; it was as if her entire body was on fire. But that pain was only minor compared to the migraine that was starting to come on. Keira forced herself into a sitting position, despite the agony that surged through her body. 

"Owi…my head" she groaned. "That crush virus sure lives up to its name." Taking in a deep breath and mustering all the courage she could, Keira rose out of bed. She noticed a set of fresh towels and alongside them, a pile of neatly folded clothes. Keira then looked over herself and grimaced. A nice hot bath sure sounded appealing. Keira gathered up the assortment of towels and was about to head into the bathroom when suddenly she noticed the prying lens of a security camera focused on her. Keira rolled her eyes.   "Kaiba…. you peeping tom," she said in a slightly amused but nonetheless annoyed tone. Anxious for privacy Keira disconnected the camera as painlessly as possible. As she turned towards the bathroom, she couldn't resist turning up her nose and letting out a sarcastic "humph" in the machines direction. 

Unfortunately Keira's efforts for privacy did not go unnoticed. The cameras failure to respond attracted the attention of one of Kaiba's security guards. The guard immediately contacted his employer, who just like the guard, instantly assumed the worst possible scenario. Together with a squadron of guards Kaiba dashed towards the healers room. Without hesitation they flew through the door. The team however, got an unexpected surprise, a furious wolf, completely alert and poised for attack. Kaiba and his guards bolted in all directions as Silver lunged at them with fangs bared. It was an unexpected twist, rather then Keira's life being threatened, instead it was there's. 

It didn't take long for Keira to finish bathing; she had never been one to linger for fear of being vulnerable. As she dried herself off, Keira once again praised herself of the habit, there was quite a bit of commotion coming from the room outside. She could hear raised voices, scrambling bodies, but above all, she snarls of her wolf friend. Keira laughed, utterly entertained by the noise, as she toweled out her hair. As usual it was up to her to fix things. A healer's job was never done. 

            Keira stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Raising her arm, she snapped her fingers loudly. Silver instantly halted her attack and casually trotted over to her master as if nothing had happened at all. Kaiba turned his back to her instantly, concealing his eyes and his blushing face from the shadow healer. Keira didn't notice right away, she was to busy greeting Silver. 

"I'm glad to see your feeling better." Keira smiled as she tenderly scratched the wolf behind the ears. It was only after she lifted her gaze that she realized Seto was the only one in the room with any manners and decency; the only one who had taken his gaze off of her.  "Well at least one of you is a gentlemen." Keira remarked. She had hoped that her comment would be enough to get the swarm of men in her room to leave, but apparently she misjudged their intelligence. "OUT!" she commanded sternly, pointing angrily at the door after they refused to move. Seto was the first to obey. He darted with surprising swiftness, all the while keeping his sights fixed on the ground. Keira waited until the last guard scuffled out before she closed the door and locked it. She mumbled unkind remarks under her breath the entire time it took her to change. 

Outside, Kaiba immediately ordered his guards to return to their positions. He spoke in harsh tones, taking out his anger on the squad. That incident had been totally unexpected and completely mortifying. Mumbling angrily, Kaiba made his way toward the stairs. On his way, he passed Mokuba, who was heading in the opposite direction…right for the Keira's room. 

"I wouldn't go over there if I were you kid." Seto warned, not wanting his sibling to come to unnecessary harm. Mokuba turned to acknowledge his brother. 

"Why?" he asked. Seto felt himself start to blush. 

"Just trust me." Mokuba wasn't deterred. 

"I made breakfast, I don't want it to get cold." With that said, the youth approached the guest room door and knocked lightly. Seto turned his head away, fearful of the worst. 

"Oh hello Mokuba." Kaiba heard Keira answer politely as she opened the door. 

"Hi feeling better?" Mokuba inquired. 

"Much better thanks." She replied, cheery as ever, as if the entire incident that had occurred a few minutes earlier had never happened. Mokuba continued. 

"I made you breakfast, you wanna come have some?"

"Mmm sounds great," Keira responded happily "I'll be right down." With his task accomplished Mokuba left and Keira closed the door quietly. Kaiba looked up as his brother approached.  

"Come on Seto, let's go eat." The younger Kaiba greeted his brother with the same innocent and happy tone.  Kaiba grumbled under his breath as he followed his sibling down stairs to the kitchen. It was he, not his brother whom Keira should be more respectful of. He would have to make that clear if she was to work for him. After breakfast, he would bring up the real reason he invited her over. The sooner she started working, the sooner he would have the god cards. 

A few minutes later, Seto seated himself at the dining room table and started reading that days paper. As usual, he managed to stuff a piece of toast in his mouth, chewing in between sentences of the latest news. He had just reached the section, which documented how his company was performing when suddenly he was distracted by the sound of four large paws trotting on the marble floor. Kaiba looked up just in time to see the white wolf leap into the chair across from him. The animal had literally seated herself at the table! Kaiba looked disapprovingly first at the wolf, who ignored him, then at his brother who was just coming into the room with a steaming bowl of food. Much to Kaiba's annoyance, Mokuba set the bowl on the table directly in front of the wolf. Ravenous, Silver plunged her snout into the bowl and gulped down its contents: ham, sausage, and crispy bacon. 

            Mokuba seemed delighted; Seto on the other hand, was anything but. 

"Must you let the dog eat at the table?" Seto inquired, his patience growing thinner by the second. "It's disgusting." Mokuba shook his head disapprovingly, as if to scold his brother.  

"It's not nice to talk that way about guests Seto, and she's not a dog, she's a wolf." Kaiba rolled his eyes and turned back to his paper. He refused to let himself get angered by a lowly beast. 

"Wow something sure smells good." Keira's voice filled the air as she made her way to the table. She was dressed in jeans, and a loose white tee shirt that had the Kaiba Corp logo embroidered in the left corner of the fabric. Mokuba's face lit up at her presence. Eagerly he ushered her to the chair next to Silver. 

"Here sit down, I'll go get your breakfast, I made you pancakes." As he spoke, Mokuba darted into the kitchen. The healer smiled. Normally she wouldn't accept freebees, mostly because she hated to impose on anyone, but her heart was warmed by the child's generosity and spirit. This time she would make an exception. 

When Mokuba returned he set an enormous plate full of pancakes right in front of her. Keira could hardly speak at the sight of the feast he had prepared. 

 "Thank…thank you Mokuba!" she exclaimed in surprise. "I haven't had pancakes in a long time." Keira glanced over at Silver to see if she noticed the smorgasbord Mokuba had given her. The wolf however, paid little attention. She was to busy licking the remains of her breakfast off of her face.  

"I see silver's already eaten." Keira commented. Mokuba grinned. 

"Yep, I wasn't sure what kind of food she liked so I just cooked all the meat I could find." Silver, now thoroughly satiated looked over at Keira with glazed eyes and bloated belly. The wolf's stomach gurgled loudly indicating her quenched appetite. Keira couldn't resist laughing. 

"It appears she approved of your choice."

"Good!" Very pleased with himself, Mokuba took Silver's bowl and trotted into the kitchen once again. Keira tried to mind her manners as she dug into her own feast, but it was hard. Her body was craving the nourishment. It had taken all her energy to combat the illness and survive the treatment. If not for Silver, she would have remained incapacitated for weeks. As she had done many times before, the she-wolf spared some of her energy to aid in Keira's recovery.

Keira glanced up, her thought process distracted by the rustling of Seto's paper. He seemed distant, like he was contemplating something. Keira narrowed her eyes. She was sure he was pondering more than that morning's news. Silver sensed Keira's unrest, and she emitted a low growl in Seto's direction. Kaiba peered over his paper at the wolf, a look of contempt in his eyes. 

The tension was suddenly broken by Mokuba's cheerful voice. 

"All done?" the child reached out and offered to take her dishes.

"Huh…" it took Keira a few seconds to gather her thoughts and respond appropriately. "Oh yes! It was delicious! Thank you!" she said, making sure to mask her suspicions with a happy voice and cheery attitude.  

"Glad you liked it." Mokuba answered as he reached over to take her empty plate. Out of politeness Keira immediately rose to help Mokuba with the chores. 

"Oh its okay, I'll get it…" she insisted, taking her own pile of dishes into the kitchen. When she returned to the dining room, her eyes trailed to Seto. In all that time, he hadn't moved, nor made any attempt to help with anything. Annoyed and angry at the same time, Keira reached over and snatched the paper out of Kaiba's hands and proceeded to roll it up. 

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Seto shouted. A sharp whack on his head from the newspaper silenced any further remarks. 

"Shame on you Seto Kaiba!" Keira scolded. "Making your little brother do all the work!"  Infuriated, Seto practically flew out of his seat. With an outstretched arm he grabbed for his paper. Keira relinquished it without a fight. Enraged by her disrespect, Kaiba stared at the healer coldly, to which Keira responded with an equally bitter and piercing glare. "What's the matter, nothing to say?" Keira inquired, keeping her gaze steady, and her voice stern. "Or do you have something else on your mind?" Kaiba watched the healer as she spoke. Her expression relayed her rightful suspicion, and her annoyance at being kept in the dark for so long. 

Kaiba knew she had figured him out. Straightening himself out, Seto glanced over when he heard his brother re-enter. 

"Mokuba, I have some business to discuss with Keira…" He didn't need to elaborate any further. Mokuba nodded his understanding and promptly turned on his heels and left. Silver bared her fangs at Kaiba, but an unexpected look from Keira stopped her. The wolf watched her owner's body language carefully. The healer told her through the movement of her eyes that this meeting was to be between her and Kaiba alone. If they were to make business dealings, Keira wanted there to be an equal level of trust.  The wolf hesitated but at last obeyed, leaving the table and following after Mokuba. Once the Silver had left, Seto seated himself once again. Keira did the same, but this time, each of them kept a rigid posture and an alert mind. After a few seconds, Kaiba cleared his throat. 

"You know Keira I wasn't really sure whether I believed the legend about shadow healers…but now…." Seto paused confident that Keira would have picked up on the idea by now. Keira indeed recognized that Seto had learned of her powers, but she didn't feel threatened. On the contrary she was very curious to see how he would handle the new information. 

"Hmm…so you know my secret. Clever. What exactly are you planning?" It was the question Seto had been waiting for. 

"I intend to reclaim my title of duel monsters champion," Seto paused, a devious smile creeping across on his lips." with your help that is." Seto's tone turned suddenly threatening, but it only served to amuse rather than intimidate Keira. The healer laughed out loud. 

"Oh really! What exactly do you plan to do? Blackmail me into helping you by threatening to expose my powers? No one would believe you Seto, you've lose your reputation in an instant." Kaiba gritted his teeth, she was more clever then he had anticipated. Luckily he had a backup plan, and the resources to make it work. 

"I can see there's no fooling you is there. Okay then, help me and I promise to make the effort worth your while." Keira raised an eyebrow, now things were getting interesting. Kaiba was obviously desperate for her help; why else would he lay out such tempting bait. But she was no fool. 

"How." Keira replied. Kaiba took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. 

"Aside from a generous payment, I'll let you decide. Whatever you want…just name it, I'll make sure that its yours." Keira's eyes gleamed at Seto's words. Aside from finances to support Silver and herself, there was only one other possession that she wanted. Ironically enough it was Kaiba who had showed it to her. Ever since their duel monsters match, she wished to hold the power of the blue eyes ultimate dragon in her deck. What better way to earn the trust of her own blue eyes dragon, then to fuse it into its ultimate form and make it unstoppable. 

 "Anything I want…okay then Kaiba, I want two of your blue eyes white dragon cards." Keira waited anxiously for Seto to reply. She may have bitten his lure, but in the process, she set up a snare for him. The question was; would he fall for it?

Kaiba said nothing, only narrowed his eyes. Keira was a good strategist, but she couldn't compete with him, not by a long shot. He would agree to her terms, but only until he received the two god cards, after that…after that, her fate would be of no concern to him or anyone else…

            "Deal." Seto replied, keeping his true malicious intentions concealed in the back of his mind. Keira seemed stunned; when in fact she was a bit shocked that Kaiba would offer up his most powerful cards so willingly. Seeing her expression, Kaiba fudged a good sounding explanation. "They wont be any use to me, once you help me find the cards I need." 

"Ah… I see," Keira nodded her understanding, "you seek exodia the forbidden one!" the healer had heard stories of this creature's unstoppable wrath after being assembled. Kaiba shook his head.  

"No! The cards I want are even more powerful then that!" Keira was baffled. 

"More powerful then exodia? What creatures do you refer too?" the very idea seemed absurd. As far as she knew, Exodia was the most powerful creature in duel monsters…were there actually monsters more powerful than that? Kaiba sighed. It was time he informed the healer of the three elusive Egyptian gods lost to legend.


	7. chapter 7

Chapter 7

Keira listened to Kaiba's narration intently. He retold the story of the three legendary god beasts; Obelisk the tormentor, Slypher the sky dragon and the winged dragon of Rah and how their powers rivaled even that of exodia. Of how Maxamillion Pegasus himself was overwhelmed by the creatures strength and had the cards hidden in secret locations across the earth. And of how the creatures' locations were discovered and raided. As Keira listened, her curiosity grew every second.  She wondered who had stolen them, and above all, just how strong they really were. Obviously there was a reason they were hidden to begin with. 

"If these god cards are really as powerful as you say…what makes you so confident that you'll be able to handle them?" Keira questioned. Kaiba once again fixed her with a cold stare.  

"That is not your concern!" he growled. Keira smirked and rolled her eyes. There he was, being arrogant again. Was there no stopping that attitude of his? Considering the reasoning behind her employment, she supposed not. 

"You're right. Go ahead, get yourself blown to pieces, see if I care!"  Kaiba tapped his foot impatiently, not amused by Keira's sarcasm in the slightest. 

"So, do we have a deal?" he asked as he rose to his feet. He was anxious to confirm their partnership so they could both get to work. Keira stood too, eager for both the hunt, and the prizes that awaited. 

"Absolutely." Keira extended her hand for Kaiba to shake, which he did, in a firm business like manner. Satisfied, Kaiba nodded confidently, then turned and left the room. Keira watched him leave, not sure whether she had created an ally or an enemy. The healer shook her head. There was no time to worry about that now, not when there were renegade god cards in need of finding. But where would she even begin to start? The cards could be anywhere! She decided to bring up the matter with Silver; surely her closest companion would have some good advice…she always did. 

          Keira found the wolf resting comfortably next to Mokuba on a sofa in Kaiba's living room. While Kaiba and herself had been negotiating, her companion was taking it easy, watching TV with Seto's brother. Silver glanced up upon her friends' arrival; curious to learn the results of the meeting she had been banned from. One look at Keira's determined face told the wolf all she needed to know; they were seeking rare and powerful duel monsters, and Kaiba would reward them well if they succeeded, there was just the problem of where to start the hunt. Silver was about to offer some suggestions, when suddenly she lost her opportunity. A commercial advertising the latest duel monsters tournament had caught Keira's attention. The event, known as battle city, was going to take place in two weeks, and the sponsor of the tournament was none other then Seto Kaiba! Keira recognized Kaiba's plot in an instant, and as she found herself admitting, it was an ingenious one at that. Seto was setting a trap for whoever possessed the god cards. By having a tournament all the invited duelists would probably be carrying rare cards. On top of that, tournaments are the perfect opportunity for card sellers, of all kinds, to make appearances. 

          Seto entered the room just as the commercial ended. Keira turned and nodded approvingly. 

          "Well it seems you already did the hard work for me Seto. By having a tournament, the cards you want will probably come this way, and if they're as powerful as you boast, I'll be able to sense them when they do." Before Kaiba could respond, Mokuba turned around and smiled happily. Apparently he had taken Keira's new assignment too much to heart. 

"Does that mean your staying here? Cool!" Mokuba looked first at Seto then at Keira. The healer's expression was both unsure and uneasy. Until that point, where she was going to reside during her stay in the city hadn't occurred to her, and the thought of staying at the Kaiba mansion certainly never crossed her mind. Keira looked over at Kaiba, Judging by the annoyed look on his face, it hadn't crossed his either. Mokuba however, was insistent. "I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind we've got plenty of room." Keira shifted uncomfortably, each of the brothers stares were pulling her in opposite directions. Silver was no help either; the wolf couldn't care either way, which left the decision up to her. At last, Mokuba's soulful gaze won over.  

"Er…well I guess I could." 

"Great!" Mokuba cheered, not even letting her finish. Seto turned up his nose.  

"Do what you want, just don't get in my way!" he commanded as he turned and walked briskly out of the room. Utterly sick of his attitude, Keira made a hideous face in Kaiba's direction while his back was turned. 

"Sheeze, what a grouch." Keira grumbled under her breath. "I've got my work cut out for me if I have to tolerate him for two weeks." Keira felt Mokuba tug on her arm, and she quickly silenced any further demeaning remarks toward her new employer. 

"Come on!" Mokuba insisted, a smile plastered across his face, "I'll give you a tour of the house." 

It was late in the afternoon by the time the tour ended. Keira herself was quite drained; the effects of her herbal potion were still vaguely claiming her energy. Until she regained her strength completely she dare not set to work. Seeking out duel monsters would require her complete mental and physical alertness, and the stronger the creatures were, the more these demands amplified. She spent the rest of the day relaxing and entertaining Mokuba with stories and games. Seeing the child's happiness had a calming effect, which was exactly what she needed. She did eventually manage to pry herself away from the younger Kaiba in order to retire to her room for the night. 

          The following morning, after a restful sleep, Keira awoke early. Now that her mind had been cleared and sharpened thanks to rest and leisure, it was time to work on her physical state; which thanks to the delicious but calorie packed meals Mokuba had been serving her, was now in her eyes a disgrace. Even Silver, whose nightly hunts usually kept her lean and fit, was beginning to feel the consequences of luxury. 

          The pair set out at sunrise for a vigorous jog. Occupied with the desire to train and the beautiful surroundings of Kaiba's landscape, they failed to keep track of time. It was close to nine am before Keira and Silver finally decided to head back in. 

          Their absence did not go unnoticed. Mokuba was looking forward to having breakfast with the pair of guests, but was disappointed when neither of them responded when he knocked on their door. Mokuba made his way back downstairs, sad, but also curious to know where they were. Seto was already awake and busy working on his laptop. He looked up when Mokuba entered the room. 

"Hey Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"Huh?"

"Have you seen Keira?" Kaiba looked back at his computer screen. The importance of Mokuba's question had dropped dramatically as soon as the healers name was mentioned. 

"No I haven't," he mumbled briskly. 

"Oh…." Mokuba lowered his eyes in disappointment. Seto noticed his brother's sadness; it bothered him. He didn't like Mokuba getting so attached to his new recruit. 

"Why are you so concerned. She has a job to do Mokuba, that's the only reason she's staying here." Mokuba looked up at his brother's stern expression. 

"I know but…" Mokuba's protest was interrupted suddenly by the sound of the front door opening. Keira and Silvers unmistakable footsteps echoed on the marble floor as they made their way through the house to the kitchen. On their way, they passed the Kaiba brothers. 

Keira's new attire, a loose tank top and a pair of exercise shorts caught Seto by surprise. The outfit showed Keira's form to be just as powerful as her will and cunning; her muscles defined and toned, something Kaiba hadn't been expecting. Mokuba smiled happily and waved, catching the healer's attention. 

"Good morning Kaibas" she said coming over to greet the brothers. She was joined shortly by Silver, who was panting wildly. Mokuba noticed that both human and wolf looked utterly spent. 

"Wow you look tired." Keira smiled. 

"I am." Keira flopped down in a chair across from Kaiba, and Silver stretched out on the cool, marble floor. The healer wiped several beads of sweat off of her forehead with her wrist. "Whew! That was a nice run!" Silver nodded in agreement between pants. "You know," Keira suddenly directed her attention to Kaiba, who was still frantically typing away, and pretending not to notice the healer and her wolf. "I never realized how much property you have Seto, it took me almost an hour to find the end of your driveway." 

Seto finally looked up from his computer screen, an expression of annoyance on his face. 

"Shouldn't you be looking for the Egyptian god cards?" he questioned, "I'm not paying you to take a tour of my estate." Keira didn't move, despite the urge to slap Kaiba senseless. Instead she made do with an ugly expression. 

"Listen, my body may have healed, but that virus really did a number on my stamina. I'm going to need all my strength if those cards are really as powerful as you claim." Keira leaned back in the chair. When she spoke again she made it a point to try and sound reassuring, so as not to further agitate her employer.  "Besides I already told you, I'll sense them when they get close." Kaiba grumbled something incoherent as he resumed his typing. The healers first day on the job and already he was getting fed up with her.

Keira took his cue and sighed with annoyance. Apparently in his heart, Kaiba was still a little skeptical about her powers. He was most likely interpreting her actions as laziness. 

"Fine." She at last relented. "It if will make you feel better, I'll search the city. Maybe I'll find some tips or something." Though she highly doubted the success of such an expedition, she could think of no other way to calm Kaiba's temper. Keira stood and motioned for Silver to follow her. For now it was back to her room for a brisk shower and a fresh change of clothes, then she would take to the city for an afternoon adventure. 

 It was mid day, and the domino high school had just let out. Yugi and Tea were on their way home as was the usual routine. They were busy discussing how lucky their friend Bakura was for being on vacation for the next two weeks. That topic of conversation ended suddenly when a sudden gust of wind sent a renegade flyer blowing into Yugi's face. 

"What's this?" he exclaimed, practically having to wrestle with the paper in the strong breeze.  The wind finally died down momentarily and Yugi was able to examine the flyer more closely. It was an advertisement for the upcoming school dance. 

"Well what is it?" Tea's voice broke Yugi's concentration. Timidly he showed her the flyer. "Its about the school dance," he said, trying to make it sound as if he didn't care.  Tea glanced over at the pamphlet curiously. 

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon isn't it." Tea looked over the date and made a mental note to herself, then she peered over at her friend. "So Yugi… are you going to go?" that question had caught Yugi by surprise. Tea had given him the perfect opportunity to ask her to the dance, but for some reason he couldn't force the words out of his mouth. 

"I…uh…." Yugi tried hard to muster all the nerve he could. "Of course…who isn't…." in the seemingly endless pause that followed, Yugi summoned his last ounce of courage. "Um actually about the dance well…Tea I was wondering…"

"Oh look Yugi!" Tea interrupted suddenly, "Isn't that the person who fixed your grandpa's card…what was her name…. Keira?" Out of reflex, Yugi glanced in the direction Tea was looking. Sure enough, there was the shadow healer. She was standing motionless, consumed in her own thoughts, and letting the wind gently play with her long strands of white tipped hair. Silver sat beside her, tall and proud, her white fur dancing in the breeze. 

"Keira!" Tea's voice sounded on the wind. Slowly the healer opened her eyes. She had been hoping to find duel monsters this day; instead she found familiar faces. 

"Hello Yugi, Tea." Keira made no attempt to move until she heard the pair of friends stop directly behind her. Only then did she turn to face them. "Its good to see you again." Yugi smiled cheerfully. Keira's unexpected appearance had distracted him from his failure a few minutes before. 

"You too. I didn't think you would still be in the city." 

"A job opportunity came up, so I'll be staying here for a little while." Keira tried to be as discrete as possible. Even if Yugi was her friend, her employment was none of his concern. 

"That's great!" Tea remarked. "Who are you working for?" Keira tried hard to remain patient, but her annoyance was evident. 

"Just someone in town." The healer closed her eyes as a strong blast of wind whipped her hair fiercely against her face. When the gust ended, Keira carelessly tossed the strands of hair out of her way. As she did however, she revealed the small insignia of Kaiba's company embroidered on her shirt. Yugi recognized it instantly. 

 "I know that logo! Are you working for Kaiba?" he asked almost horrified. Yugi's question inadvertently came out sounding more like a threat. He knew of Kaiba's manipulating and because of her powers, he feared Keira's safety. Silver however did not appreciate Yugi's tone and stood protectively in front of her friend, the wolf then issued a threat of her own, curling her lip in Yugi's direction. 

          Keira saw the anxiety in Yugi's eyes. Gently she calmed Silver with a stroke on the head. 

          "Its alright Silver." The she wolf relaxed at her masters words, but she made no attempt to move from her position as bodyguard. Keira fixed her gray-blue eyes on Yugi. "I understand your concern Yugi, but I assure you, I can take care of myself. Seto Kaiba may be rich, but he's no match for me." 

          Yugi sighed. Keira sounded confident in her claims. It was obvious that she was not afraid of Kaiba, despite his money and corporate connections. That fearlessness alone gave her an edge. 

          "Alright." Yugi finally relented and let the topic start to drop. "But if you ever need anything, the shop is always open." Keira smiled lightly. Such generosity and innocence were rare in today's world. She was happy that neither had died out completely. Still, she did have an image to uphold, and a job to maintain. This was no time to be weak, in either mind or body. 

          "I'll be fine." Keira watched Yugi carefully. Though his expression didn't show it, she could still sense his inner concern. Clearly the child had many doubts, not just about her, but about himself and even the power he possessed. Keira sighed, her rough exterior giving way to her compassion.  "Let me give you some advice Yugi.  Nothing good can come from being afraid. Fear is a weakness whose only purpose is to hold you back from what you really want. If you conquer fear, then there is truly not a force on earth that can stop you." 

          With that said, Keira turned and started to walk away, with Silver in stride. Hopefully her philosophy would be just as useful to Yugi, as it had been for her. Keira closed her eyes for a brief moment. There were still many hours of daylight left, plenty of time to continue her search. 

          Yugi and Tea watched the healer leave, her words still burning in their minds. In all reality, she did have a very good point. Yugi looked over at Tea. Perhaps it was time for him to conquer his fears, no matter what the result may be; at least he could be proud in knowing that he was no longer afraid. 

          "Hey Tea…" Yugi kicked the ground lightly. "I've been meaning to ask you…" 

          "Yeah?" 

          "Would you go to the dance with me?"  


	8. chapter 8

Chapter 8

Keira returned to the Kaiba mansion just as the sun was beginning to set. As she had predicted, her search had been unsuccessful, even pointless. She ignored a glare from Kaiba as she headed upstairs, and replied with a piercing stare of her own, a gesture that caught Seto off guard. 

That night Kaiba was restless. Normally in situations like this, he would get an early start on his work for the next day, usually such labor kept his mind occupied. But tonight was different. For some reason he just couldn't concentrate. Kaiba walked downstairs, in the hopes that maybe a midnight stroll might calm his nerves. 

            Stepping outside, Kaiba inhaled the night air. The weather was unusually warm that evening, making the slight breezes pleasant, almost soothing. The sky was flawless, clear and beautiful, filled with stars. And a brilliant full moon accented the surrounding landscape with a pale light. Kaiba stared on at the breathtaking surroundings as he walked out onto his patio. He paused when he caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye. Seto squinted and fixed his sights in the direction it had come from. His gaze fell on the large, elegant fountain that stood near the edge of the terrace. On its outer rim, among the mist created by the gentle flowing water, sat the shadow healer. Draped in her satin cloak, her elegant form was aglow, bathed by the soft moonlight. She sat motionless, the wind gently teasing her unbound hair. 

"What are you doing up?" Kaiba heard himself ask. He barely recognized his own voice as it rang out in the night. Keira didn't move, she just continued to stare toward the horizon, her eyes calm and focused. Slowly she raised a hand and motioned for Kaiba to come closer.  

"Listening." She answered softly. Kaiba was baffled. 

"To what? The wind?" he asked. Keira raised a finger to her lips and whispered softly. 

"Shhh. My monsters are speaking to me. They say the creatures you seek are coming close to the city…very close." Kaiba sneered. He couldn't believe that he was actually listening to this.  

"Rubbish!" he scoffed. Calmly, Keira turned her gaze on Kaiba. He interpreted her gesture as a request to explain his reasoning, so he did, very bluntly. 

            "Duel monsters are just cards nothing more." With that he turned and started to head back to the house. 

"Is that you or your ego talking?" Keira's words stopped Kaiba in his tracks. Was she challenging him?

            "What do you mean?" Seto turned back around to face the healer. He made it a point to make his response sound more like a threat then a question. Keira answered in the same collected tone. 

"You assume that just because you can't explain something, it doesn't exist." Kaiba narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the authoritative way she was speaking to him. 

"And you can explain it?" Kaiba asked in a sarcastic tone.  

"No," Keira kept her gaze steady "I never found the need. I just trust my instincts, they've never let me down before."  Seto crossed his arms over his chest and turned up his nose. Keira was starting to bore him with her pointless philosophical lecture. But the healer was not finished with him yet. She leaned forward, propping up her chin with her elbows. "What about your instincts Seto?" she inquired softly "What are they telling you?" 

Seto was unprepared for that question; and that annoyed him. 

"That you're talking nonsense!" he barked out in frustration, hoping to spark the healer's temper. But Keira's composed expression didn't change. 

"Really. Well if that's the case…. then why did you hire me?" Kaiba's uneasiness was apparent now. He shifted slightly as he tried to come up with an answer, any kind of retort, but none came. Keira was doing more than lecture, she was playing mind-games, and the harder he tried to escape; the more he got pulled in. 

Keira watched Seto as he tried to respond. She could sense the inner struggle that raged within him. Despite so much evidence against him, Seto was reluctant to surrender his views on dueling. By accepting the reality of the heart of the cards, Kaiba would also be admitting that his entire philosophy… everything he ever learned and believed was completely wrong. 

Keira stared into Seto's face; she couldn't help but feel pity for the man. It was hard to submit to a new reality, especially when one is so proud. Keira felt her powers rage suddenly. But if Seto wanted to claim victory, he needed a clear head, and this inner argument had gone on long enough. Like it or not, she would set things straight, and cure him of his struggle, no matter how painful the process would be. 

Keira's expression became stern. "Something scared you didn't it." Keira forced eye contact with Seto. Kaiba seemed startled by the sudden coldness of her voice, but he managed to disguise his emotions with a mask of anger. Keira continued, her eyes never moving. "Some event seared deep into your heart and filled you with doubts about yourself, and what you believe is true."

Seto balled his hands into fists. There was no way Keira could have known something like that, how could she possibly…NO! Seto gritted his teeth. She was playing tricks on him that was all. He would not stand for this! He tried to yell, but his voice was caught in his throat. Suddenly Kaiba was aware of how fast his heart was beating. 

"Could it have been your dealings with Pegasus" Keira continued, her powers still blazing. "…your brothers kidnapping?" Seto shook his head violently. 

"I don't believe this!" he managed to spit out through clenched teeth. She couldn't possibly have known the true impact the events at duelist kingdom had on him! There was simply NO way! Unless…

"Or perhaps…" Keira was ready with the final savage blow. "…it was your defeats by Yugi." 

"Enough!" Seto shouted. His mind in utter agony, Seto lashed out at Keira, slapping her hard across the face. Keira didn't utter a word, in fact, she didn't protest at all. She turned to Seto once more, a sly smile creeping across her face. Her task was completed. Seto could no longer doubt the powers of the shadow healers, nor could he continue to deny the heart of the cards. 

Kaiba knew this too, and it infuriated him. Angrily he raised a fist, ready to strike the arrogant smile off of Keira's face once and for all! But at the last second he stopped. She was going to find him the god cards, and for that reason, she couldn't be harmed. Kaiba lowered his fist. So what if duel monsters really did exist, he still had his authority over them, and he would still claim victory at the tournament. That was all that mattered. Seto turned abruptly and started to walk back to the house. He heard Keira's voice drift through the air behind him.

"Sweet dreams Seto." She crooned.  

Kaiba lay awake in bed for hours. He may have come to terms with his inner debate, but he still couldn't sleep knowing that the accursed shadow healer had discovered his weakness. It unnerved him to no end; after all, it was usually he who struck out at others weaknesses. Until that point, no one had ever had the nerve to try the same stunt on him. Seto stared up at the ceiling. Come to think of it, Keira was one of the few people who didn't seem to be the least bit afraid of him. She seemed to have the intellect and the skill to match him point for point in duel monsters; a complement he didn't give lightly, and she had the same "never say die" attitude. From what he could tell, she was confident, determined, and independent, not relying on anyone to find her way in the world. A lot like… Seto narrowed his eyes. A lot like…him! 

Kaiba rolled onto his side and stared out the window at the starlit sky. He thought about the past few days, and of that night's conversation. Perhaps he should start considering Keira more of an ally, rather then an employee. Kaiba closed his weary eyes. From then on, he would begin treating her better, _at least above the rank of his sniveling squad of guards_

The morning came quickly. Keira rose early and, with silver by her side as always, she made her way to the kitchen for some breakfast. She served Silver first, a large hunk of meat strait from Kaiba's freezer. The wolf was delighted. She knawel eagerly at the morsel while Keira cooked. A little wile later, Silver paused from her feast, perking her ears, when the sound of footsteps on the stairs rang through the air. She glanced at her human friend, but Keira was already aware of Seto Kaiba's presence. He seemed in a daze, oblivious to the world as he sluggishly came down the stairs.  

"Sleep well?" Keira asked, not even bothering to turn around. She wasn't expecting an answer. Keira knew the impact she had made was a deep one, and more then likely, kept poor Seto tossing and turning the entire night. Keira shot a glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, Seto looked as though he was still asleep. 

"I thought as much." Keira smiled lightly as Seto entered the room. In reality she was partially right in her assumption. Seto was still slightly shaken by her reading of his emotions, but his dream state was mostly due to the thought process that had followed. In any case, the night had been draining, and sleep utterly impossible. 

"Here sit." Keira spoke with a more compassionate tone as she directed him to an empty chair. Kaiba obeyed, seeing as how his conscious self was almost nonexistent. The smell of piping hot food in front of him perked his senses a bit. Kaiba roused just enough to realize that Keira had cooked him breakfast. 

"What's this for?" Seto asked motioning to the plate in front of him. Keira sighed lightly as she began to clean and put away dishes. 

"An apology." She said gently. "I shouldn't have pried like that, it was none of my business. You've probably got enough to worry about without me putting ideas into your head." Seto looked over at her. He tried to keep his voice steady, but also non-threatening. 

"But you did nonetheless." Keira lowered her eyes; she couldn't have known that this turn of events was actually beneficial to her. Seto continued.  "You know, what you said about me…" he paused, and Keira nodded. "I've never told that to anyone…ever, not even Mokuba knows." Kaiba noticed the uneasy way Keira was shifting in place, so he decided to get strait to the point. "I'm curious…how did you find that out?" Keira tossed a dishrag onto the counter. Then she moved over to the table and sat down in the chair across from him. 

"To be honest… I'm not sure. Sometimes when the environments right, and my powers are at their peek…I can sense the feelings of others…look into their hearts. I can only see brief glimpses, and it's only from the surface, the most recent or pressing issues." Keira leaned forward on the table and locked her eyes with Seto's "I would never delve deep enough and view a persons real secrets…please understand that. I only saw, what you let me see." 

Kaiba leaned back in his chair. Judging by the look in her eyes, Keira was telling the truth about her claims. She couldn't have gone to deep into his heart, otherwise she would have learned of some more family related secrets. Seto nodded his understanding. He then decided to address another matter that was nagging in the back of his mind. 

"Can you really talk to duel monsters?" 

Keira smiled warmly at Kaiba. She wasn't sure exactly what had prompted his sudden interest, but she was only too happy to help ease his curiosity.  


	9. chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was evident now to Keira that Seto had changed, his manner especially. He was no longer cold and emotionless whenever she was near.  Quite the contrary, he encouraged conversations, often asking how her search was going. He even tried his best to treat Silver more respectfully. Seto's new behavior patterns puzzled Keira. Though she didn't mind the change, she often wondered what had caused it. Was he acting out of fear? Had her prying inadvertently frightened him? Was he doing it out of desperation? She was his key to finding the god cards. Or perhaps he was plotting something? That wouldn't surprise her. But the more she watched, the more she was convinced that these changes were genuine; that there was no alternative reason. 

            Keira brought up these thoughts to Silver one night after she had retired to her room. The wolf seemed amused that she hadn't figured the situation out. 

            -Isn't it obvious? - Silver glanced at Keira from her spot at the foot of the bed. Keira raised her eyebrows to the remark. Silver sighed lightly. 

            -He's finally realized that you're his equal. He's trying to form an alliance-

Keira was stunned. She sat up and got closer to her wolf friend. 

            "His equal?" Though Keira was not lacking in self-confidence, she never thought to compare herself with someone like Seto Kaiba. 

            -Take it from someone who knows about hierarchy, Keira- 

The healer leaned back; her companion's words did have some truth to them. If she thought about it hard enough, her and Kaiba were similar in many ways. Funny how it had taken her this long to notice it. Did Kaiba seriously desire an alliance, a friendship even? 

            "If he does," Keira thought silently to herself. "He will have to earn it first." 

Keira couldn't have known just how soon Seto would get that chance. As the darkest hours of night fell, Keira slipped into a dreamless sleep. Everything was peaceful…until

            _"Come to me!"_ Keira's eyes opened slowly as the slurred command registered in her mind. 

            _"Come to me!" _the voice that issued the order was eerie, unfamiliar even dangerous but for some reason, Keira could not resist its mysterious pull. The healer felt herself rise; she recognized the cool floor under her feet. But she could not stop herself from moving. She walked toward the voice, her powers ablaze. 

            _"Come…come…. come to me." _Keira felt the alluring tug grow stronger; it forced her to spill out emotionless words 

            "Yes…I'm coming." 

Seto awoke to a most unusual sound. It was Silver. From what he could tell the she-wolf was throwing her entire weight against his bedroom door. Furious Seto scrambled out of bed. He stomped over to the door and yanked it open, having every intention of dragging the blasted animal, and her owner outside to sleep. He stopped short however, when he noticed Silvers frantic movement and terrified stare. 

            "What's the matter?" he heard himself ask. Silver did an anxious jig, all the while looking over her shoulder then immediately back at him. Seto heard the door to Mokuba's room open. Sure enough, the younger Kaiba was also awoken by the noise.  

"Seto? What's going on?" a tired and confused Mokuba asked. Seto shrugged his shoulders helplessly. 

"I have no idea, the wolf just started going nuts!" Silver growled at Seto, angry that her message had not been understood even when it was so obvious. Franticly she darted over to Mokuba in the hopes that he would be a better translator. Sure enough, the child read her signals flawlessly. 

"Something's wrong, she wants us to follow her!" No sooner had the words been spoken, Silver took off, sprinting down the hall at full speed. The Kaiba brothers followed the fear growing in their hearts. 

            The three practically flew into Keira's room. The shadow healer was standing in front of her open window, extending her arm out into the night, as if to reach someone. 

            "Keira?" Mokuba questioned, confused by the scene. But the healer didn't respond, she just stood motionless, continuing to reach out to the voice that called her. 

            _"Come to me!" _The haunting cry was irresistible. Hypnotically Keira stepped up onto the windowsill, prepared to jump at the voices next command. 

            "Keira Don't!" Mokuba screamed in a panic. Just as he brother cried, Seto darted forward with unexpected speed. Without hesitation, Kaiba grabbed Keira around the waste just as she had started to lean forward.  Despite his strength, Kaiba felt himself brace under the weight. There was more then gravity at work, it was as if some invisible force was pulling her down toward the ground. Kaiba tightened his grip, determined to pull the healer to safety, or else, fall with her. 

            Kaiba's sudden action jolted Keira back to her senses. She had no idea where she was… until she looked down. Struck with panic Keira screamed and flailed her arms backwards. That gave Kaiba the leverage he needed. With a mighty jerk, Kaiba yanked the healer inside, perhaps a bit too well.  Kaiba used so much force that he fell over backwards in the process. Seeing as how Kaiba still had his arms around her waist, Keira followed suit, landing directly on top of him. 

            Embarrassed and frightened beyond reason, Keira scrambled away desperately trying to regain her bearings. Someone or something was trying to get control of her, and that thought alone amplified her panic. Keira gripped her throbbing head, trying frantically to maintain control of her own mind as the voice once again sounded. 

            _"If you will not come on your own, then I shall have to use force!" _Keira screamed as a sudden blast of energy surged through her body. She tried hard to combat the force with her powers, but they were no match for the energy that was being generated, no doubt a by a millennium item; a force not even a healer could defy. Keira stumbled forward a few steps; she was losing the battle.  Kaiba caught her just as she was about to collapse. Keira looked up at him helplessly, the healer symbol shining brightly on her forehead. 

            "Please…help me!" she cried, but her plea came too late. No sooner had the words left her mouth then her spirit was yanked forcefully from her body and hurled deep into the shadow realm. 

            Kaiba watched horrified as Keira's body went limp and cold in his arms. He was just about to tell Mokuba to call the hospital when suddenly the voice was knocked out of him. Silver slammed herself hard into Kaiba's side, causing him to release the healer and simultaneously topple backwards. The she wolf stood over Keira's body, her back arched and her fangs bared. She snarled a threat at the brothers, a clear warning that they should keep their distance. Confused and frightened by this new behavior, Mokuba tried to approach Silver as he always had. Surely he could make her understand that they were only trying to help….

            The wolf's fierce eyes glaring at him stopped Mokuba in his tracks. Silver continued to snarl, even if it was her friend approaching, she would show no mercy if he came any closer. Seeing the wolf's distracted state, Seto made one final attempt to move in to try and help Keira. No luck. The wolf moved with such speed, that Seto couldn't escape fast enough. Silver sank her fangs into his hand and refused to let go. Mokuba didn't hesitate in darting over to help is brother. His presence put Silver on alert once more, and she released Seto just long enough to turn and snap at Mokuba, who managed to jump out of the way of the wolf's jaws. Both brothers scrambled away until they reached a safe distance. Silver never took her eyes of them as she continued to growl menacingly. 

            Seto ignored the pain in his hand as he continued to watch the wolf and the healer she guarded. Whatever had happened, it was obvious that neither he nor his brother could do nothing to help, all they could do was watch and wait with baited breath. 


	10. chapter 10

Chapter 10 

Keira hit the ground hard, and the strain of the shadow realms environment made the pain of her landing even worse. The healer forced her eyes open, amazed that she had even survived the traumatic entrance into the world of shadows. Painfully she got to her feet. At the same time she searched the dark surroundings for any kind of unbalance or weakness. In her current state, she would need to find a rift somewhere in the realm in order to return to her body.  

            A deep snarl filled the air, catching Keira by surprise. Normally duel monsters respected healers because of the aid they provided and would not even approach, unless they were called. A monster actually threatening a healer was simply out of the question. Keira turned to face the creature that disrespected her, and give it a stern reprimanding. In the darkness, a single pair of red eyes met her gaze. Another cry sounded, this time from the opposite direction. Keira felt the ground shake as the two creatures advanced forward. Slowly, their massive forms became visible through the dense atmosphere. The healer didn't recognize either creature. One was an enormous red dragon, whose wings seemed to take up the entire sky, and the second was a golden griffin like monster, with shimmering feathers and talons. 

            Despite their size, Keira was not afraid to speak her mind to the beasts, whatever they might be.  Raising an arm, she commanded the monsters leave her to her business, and neither concern or involve themselves in her affairs. It was a policy most creatures obeyed without question. Unfortunately Keira presumed too much. A massive blast of fire along with a deafening roar from the dragon monster made Keira drop to the ground in surprise. She received a similar attitude from the griffin, but this creature took a different approach. It advanced forward and slashed at her with its claws. Keira rolled out of the way, just in time to avoid the deadly strike. 

            The shadow healer, though incredibility angry, kept her priorities in check. She would rather flee and live, then risk her life to protest her ill treatment. But even that proved to be difficult. The monsters had little trouble in keeping up with her as she ran. Keira darted frantically, avoiding sharp blows from claws, and feet. Fed up with the chase, the monsters finally decided to end the hunt. Together they unleashed an incredible blast of energy. It took all the strength she had to avoid the blast directly, but she could not escape the resulting explosion. Keira was flung into the air by the shock wave. 

All at once, the ground disappeared and darkness was everywhere. The sensation of falling was the only thing that assured Keira that she was still alive. A single thought echoed in her mind. Those creatures, those horrible uncontrollable monsters…they were both Egyptian gods…and they were going to kill her. No matter how strong her will was, the healer was sure that she would not survive their next assault. A few more minutes, and it would all be over. 

            Keira felt herself land on something smooth and scaly. She felt the movement of breathing underneath her, and the rush of wind. She could still hear the enraged roars of the god beasts, but they were growing fainter every second. All was quiet. The movement stopped, and Keira felt her body being lifted, ever so gently by a set of jaws…. More movement…now she was on the ground. Keira winced. She was having trouble staying conscience. A familiar energy, the soft croon of a concerned duel monster…the warm breath of a creature inches from her helpless from. 

Keira felt a warm, scaly snout brush against her cheek.  Almost instantly, her mind strengthened and she had the energy to open her eyes. A set of sky blue jewels greeted her as her vision focused. Keira smiled at the welcoming gaze of her blue eyes white dragon. The creature had no doubt risked his life to save hers from the rampaging gods. The dragon lowered his muzzle to the healer and chortling rested his nose on her stomach. Keira felt a wave of warmth begin to spread through her body. She could feel her strength and stamina returning. Keira reached up and stroked the creature's massive head. It was the only way she could think to show thanks to the dragon for both saving her from the wrath of the Egyptian gods, and keeping her alive by donating some if its energy. The dragon crooned his understanding, and then averted his eyes to reveal yet another favor he had done. Not far away was an opening Keira could use to escape the shadow realm. The healer smiled warmly and thanked the creature once more for his help and loyalty. Then she concentrated her power on the rift. Almost instantly she felt the pull of the shadow realm begin to weaken.   

Slowly Keira drifted back to her senses.  She became aware that the ground beneath her was hard and smooth, just as the floors of the Kaiba mansion were. She also was aware of an angry snarling sound coming from directly above her. But this was not a duel monsters growl; this angry voice belonged to her beloved Silver. Keira opened her eyes, and was immediately met with a barrage of wolf kisses, along with the astonished and concerned remarks of the Kaiba brothers standing a short distance away. Mokuba was shivering all over and timidly clutching Seto's right arm. Seto was frightened too, but he dare not show it. 

"What happened!" Seto demanded. Keira forced herself into a sitting position. She was so grateful to be alive that it took her a few seconds to focus on Seto's question. 

"Someone…. knows I'm here…and doesn't like it," she responded.  

"Who?" Kaiba asked, trying hard to disguise the slight note of panic in his voice. "Who's after you?" Mokuba's eyes widened at his brothers words, and he tightened the grip he had on Seto's arm. 

"I don't know…. someone incredibly powerful, with a strong will." Keira paused and massaged her throbbing forehead. "He tried to force my body into submission, by breaking my mind in the shadow realm." Keira shuddered. Even the mention of the act made her insides tremble. 

"Why?" Seto questioned. Keira gritted her teeth. She didn't want to answer that inquire; it brought up too many personal and painful recollections that she had managed to hide. Whoever tried to take over her mind, did it for access to her powers, a situation that as much as she hated to admit it, was not unfamiliar to her. Rather then risk being vulnerable, Keira decided to distract Kaiba from his original question.  

"I think you'll be more interested in 'how' he went about it." Keira looked Seto strait in the eye. "He tried to kill me…with the Egyptian god cards." As expected, Kaiba was stunned. 

"What! You saw them!" he gasped. Keira shook her head slowly. That was quite an understatement.  

"I did more than see them Seto," Keira's voice suddenly turned low and serious. "I've felt their power, their rage. They're uncontrollable monsters who desire nothing more then complete and total destruction of everything."  Keira shivered at the truth of her own words. When she spoke again her voice was nothing more then a dull whisper. "Oh Seto…. if only you knew the power you sought, you'd end your search immediately." The healers warning didn't faze Kaiba in the slightest and he made sure she knew it with a sly smile. 

"I doubt that." Keira watched Kaiba's face, bewildered and irritated. After what had just happened, he _still_ didn't take her advice seriously. 

"How can you be so confident?" Keira inquired, curious to know how he was planning to answer. 

"Because I know for a fact that I would be able to handle them, no matter how strong they are. You see, I already possess one of those legendary cards." Kaiba pulled his arm free from Mokuba's grip and took the fabled card out of his pocket, its permanent resting place until the tournament. Proudly he held it up for Keira to see. The healer remained motionless. She could sense that Kaiba was telling the truth, that the card he held was indeed one of the three god cards…yet. This creature, unlike the other two, remained quiet, but not in peace or submission… in waiting. Keira decided to point this out to Kaiba. 

"So you have the third god card. Isn't that ironic."  

"What do you mean?" Kaiba asked not catching on and quite surprised by her lack of enthusiasm. Keira rose to her feet and walked towards Kaiba. 

"Don't you find it odd that if even though I could sense the god cards from anywhere in the city, I wouldn't realize there was one in this very house?" Seto raised an eyebrow. He still didn't know what Keira was getting at. The healer saw this and she tossed her hands up into the air. "The creature is obviously subduing its power to avoid detection." That explanation seemed simple enough, but Kaiba apparently interpreted it differently. 

"Well then, the monster obviously knows who its master is." Now Keira was getting angry. This was no time for Kaiba to start being arrogant.  

"Haven't you been listening Seto? The card hasn't chosen you, it has no reason to obey anyone. It's using you as a pawn. Don't you see, its toying with you, like a cat with a mouse…and once you've served its purpose, it will invade your mind and destroy you…" Keira clenched her hands into fists. Why was she even bothering trying to get a point across. Kaiba was too stubborn to listen, even to the word of an ally. 

Seto could see Keira's frustration with him building. Perhaps he had let his confidence go to far. This had been, after all, a rather frightening night, and he certainly wasn't helping matters any. Right now, the best thing for everyone was to get some more sleep. In the morning, they would be able to reflect on things with clear heads and sharp minds. 

"Don't worry Keira," Kaiba spoke in a softer more reassuring voice.  "I've spent nearly my entire life dealing with rare cards, believe me," Seto forced a confident smile "this is one mind that those creatures won't dare to mess with." Keira watched Seto curiously. That was the first time he had addressed her in such a comforting manner. His eyes relayed the same message, and that startled her. The healer sighed deeply. Perhaps it was time for her to begin to trust Seto, not just as an employer, but also as a friend. He had after all, risked his life to save her. As far as his control of monsters went, Kaiba seemed sure enough of his abilities as a duelist, and he did have a very strong will, definitely not strong enough to control the creatures, but maybe at least fierce enough to protect himself from them. At this point, anything was possible. Keira shrugged her shoulders. 

"Whatever you say." There was no reason to debate about the topic any further, not when everyone was so tired. A sudden unease in Seto's posture caught Keira by surprise. Glancing over him quickly she soon realized that he was trying to conceal his left hand from her…but to no avail.  

 "Oh…" Keira remarked in surprise, "you're bleeding…." Seto glimpsed at the wound, as if to check for himself. The gashes from Silvers fangs were deep, bleeding profusely, and unbearably painful. Kaiba gritted his teeth stubbornly. 

"Its nothing…" he tried to spit out, but a sharp jolt of pain made him wince and blow his cover. Before he could protest, Keira had grabbed his arm and carefully inspected the injury. She identified the fang marks immediately and shot a reprimanding eye in Silvers direction. The wolf flattened her ears in apology, but not regret. Keira was most vulnerable when her mind was in the shadow realm, and it was her job to protect her friend at any cost. 

"Come on, let's get this clean." Keira ordered in a maternal tone, as she gently, but insistently shoved Kaiba over to the nearest bathroom. Seto was hesitant at first. Neither he nor his brother had been addressed in such a manner for years, but at last, he gave in to her commands. What good would protesting do, except make his hand hurt more. 

With utmost tenderness, Keira rinsed off the blood, and cleaned the gashes. She was about to ask Mokuba to retrieve a first aid kit, but at the last second she stopped. Keira couldn't help feeling guilty for what had happened to Seto. In a way, her presence was responsible for the events of the night. She owed it to Kaiba to at least try to fix the mess she had made. Keira rested Seto's injured hand in the palm of her own.

 "I normally don't do this…but I'll make an exception this time." Keira tapped lightly into her powers. Slowly she felt herself come in tune with Seto's biorhythms. Carefully she focused her energy on Kaiba's injury. As she did, the cuts started to mend. The Kaiba brothers watched in utter awe. When Keira had finished, Seto carefully pulled his hand away. The pain was gone, as was any trace of the bite wounds. He looked astonished at Mokuba then at Keira who calmly returned a gaze of her own. 

"Let me guess, your wondering why I didn't become a doctor." Keira questioned with a smile. Kaiba and Mokuba said nothing, only nodded. 

"Lets just say that healing people causes some…. side effects." Keira watched as Kaiba's expression turned slightly anxious. "Oh don't worry…" she reassured him, "a wound that small wouldn't cause any harm." Keira paused and tried hard to suppress a yawn. Mokuba didn't try nearly as hard. 

"We should all probably get to bed. Its really late, " Keira paused and looked at her watch, "early" she corrected. Kaiba nodded, but Mokuba was hesitant. He looked up with wide, frightened eyes at his brother, as if begging for his company. Keira noted the child's fear, and once again guilt raged in her heart. Only after she had eased the younger Kaibas' pain would her conscience be clear. 

"Silver." The wolf perked her ears at the mention of her name. "Why don't you stay with Mokuba tonight." Silver wagged her tail lightly, happy to honor her friends request, but also weary about leavening Keira on her own. 

            "You mean it!" Mokuba spoke with such enthusiasm and relief that Silver could not refuse him. The wolf approached Mokuba and waited patiently as he said good night to Keira and his brother. Then he and Silver left in stride towards his room. Keira yawned again and also bid good night to Kaiba. She thought she noted a look of gratitude on his face, but she could mistake it for an effect of sleep depravation.


	11. chapter 11

Chapter 11

 As Keira slept, a dark memory emerged inside her mind; one of the many visions of her youth that she kept hidden from the world. The dream struck without warning, in the process re-opening a deep wound in Keira's psyche. The visions showed her as a mere toddler, shivering in a corner, while a menacing from with a harsh voice barked out orders. When she didn't obey their insistent commands, the shadowy form pulled out her most terrible weapon, a gilded whip. Even now, Keira still remembered those agonizing punishments. Though the gashes had closed, and the scars had long ago disappeared, as the nightmare figure lashed at her younger self, Keira could feel the sting on her skin, as if the wounds were fresh and raw.     

          Keira sat bolt upright and let out an agonizing shriek. Only after she heard her own cry did she realize that it was just a memory and nothing more. Keira clamped a hand over her mouth to try and stifle the remains of her scream. She had to force herself completely awake, only then would the haunting visions leave her thoughts. Shakily she stumbled around until she found the bathroom door. Cupping her hands under the running sink faucet, Keira splashed her face with freezing cold water. With each dousing that nights events grew fainter and fainter. 

          Keira toweled off her face lightly, wiping her fear away with the stray droplets. She was so preoccupied that her senses failed to alert her to the person approaching. Only when she had finished, did she sense another presence nearby. Keira felt her body go rigid. It was so dark in the room that she couldn't predict from which direction the intruder might strike….

Suddenly Keira felt a hand grip her shoulder! Terrified she whirled around to face the enemy, she held up her fists, ready to defend herself. 

          "Hey take it easy!" Seto Kaiba's voice rang out in the dark. "Its just me." Keira squinted and finally managed to find a light switch. Sure enough there was Seto. 

          "Don't you ever do that to me again!" Keira yelled, only afterwards did she realize just how scared she sounded. 

          "I'm sorry!" Kaiba held up his hands apologetically "I heard you scream, is everything alright? Is someone after you again?" Keira hesitated. In reality, she was ashamed of her behavior, her weakness. Being afraid of visions seemed so childish. She couldn't tell Seto what had frightened her so badly, she just couldn't. 

          "Uh…yes…they tried again…" Keira lied. "But…I fended them off." In her eyes, the tale was believable, in Seto's it was reality. Keira not only sounded frightened, she was actually shivering. 

          "Maybe you should sleep with me tonight, just in case they come back." Seto suggested. He of course, took none of the implications of his statement to heart…not that is…until he practically had to dodge a swing from the shadow healer. 

          "ABSOLUTLY NOT!" she growled, her face turning from pale white to red. Kaiba backed away in the hopes that the gesture would help to emphasize that he had not meant the statement be taken literally. 

          "That's not what I meant…." Seto rubbed a hand between his eyes. Why did women always have to jump to such drastic conclusions? "I'd just feel better if I was there to protect you." That explanation seemed logical, surely she would understand…

          "So now you think I'm weak! Is that it!" Keira's fierce words seared in Seto's mind. Once again, he had misjudged the strange interpretation skills of a woman. 

          "No!" Seto tried to protest, but his retorts fell on deaf ears. 

          "Liar!" Keira cried, "You think I need protection because I can't fend for myself! Well let me tell you Seto Kaiba I'm more then capable of…" Keira fell silent when she felt Kaiba grip her shoulders. She was about to protest further, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw something unexpected…sincerity. 

          "Keira… please." Kaiba spoke much softer now, he was almost pleading, no doubt a difficult task for him. Keira let out a heavy sigh. Her own pride had blinded her to Kaiba's genuine concern. She realized that he had no intention of harming or even insulting her; he only wanted to insure she remained safe. 

          "Fine…" Keira rolled her eyes and spoke sarcastically. Just because she was allowing Kaiba to be her protector, didn't mean she had to like it. Besides even if he was being honest in his claims, he was still a man, and that thought didn't ease Keira one bit. She would let Kaiba be noble, but not before she armed herself. 

          Clutching her dagger tightly in her fists, Keira followed Seto to his room. If not for the circumstances, Keira would normally have been in awe of the surroundings, but she forced her eyes to remain on Kaiba. If he so much as breathed the wrong way, he would regret it. Seto stretched and yawned, exhausted by nights drama. Casually he curled back into bed, his mind focusing only of the possibility of calling off all of that days early morning meetings. Keira followed suit, but she did it cautiously, making sure to distance herself as much as possible. Then she pulled her dagger from its holder and held it inches from Seto's face. 

          "If you try anything," Keira growled, "I swear I won't hesitate to use it." Seto watched the blade and nodded his understanding. Keira then tucked the weapon back in its case. She maintained a firm grip on the handle as she tucked her arm under her pillow, and settled into a comfortable position. Kaiba sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He had no intention of evoking the wrath of the healer's temper, nor her blade. All he wanted was to sleep the remainder of the morning. 

Keira waited until she was sure that Seto was sound asleep before she closed her own eyes. But there would be no sleep for her that night. No sooner had she drifted off then another nightmare reared its ugly head. This time, the same shadowed figure from before was trying to make her use her healing powers. When she refused, they lunged at her. Her uncoordinated toddler legs could not escape. The figure seized Keira by the shoulders and started to shake her, hard, as if they were trying jolt the very will out of her tiny body. As a helpless youngster, Keira could do nothing to protest, only close her eyes and cry. The more she cried, the harder they shook. All the while they were barking out insults, and threats. 

          "Leave me alone!" Keira cried, at last able to find her voice, desperately she tried to ward off the attack, but her flailing only made it worse. 

          "Keira!" a voice rang through the air. "Keira! Keira! Wake up!" Keira felt the shaking subside to a gentle nudge on her shoulder. "Keira!" Seto's voice sounded in the night. Keira's eyes snapped open and Kaiba's face came into focus. Out of reflex Keira sat up and shoved him away, as if he was the cause of the horrible visions that darted in her head. Wide-eyed and shaking she could only grip the nearest blanket tightly in her hands, and try to hold back the memories and the tears.    

When Keira finally did manage to regain control of herself she became aware that Seto had draped a compassionate arm around her trembling shoulders. She recoiled at the touch, but Kaiba didn't move, only continued to act as a comfort. Keira took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly before she turned her head to meet Seto's gaze. She noted how he was careful to move away, clearly not wanting to overstep his boundaries. 

          "You all right?" he questioned quietly. 

          "Fine" Keira replied trying to sound composed, "I'm…fine." her voice cracked suddenly; in reality she was anything but. She had just managed to suppress one nightmare, and already she had to combat another. There was no telling how many more awaited her if she tried to sleep again. 

          Seto saw the dread in Keira's eyes. He understood her agony all to well. Dark memories it seemed, was an enemy they had in common. He knew now that Keira had lied about being attacked, in order to hide the shame from him, and from the look on her face, the fear of being ridiculed still hung heavy on her mind. Seto got up and pulled on a bathrobe and slippers. It was time he supposed to assuage her fear, and help subdue her nightmares. 

Keira watched him out of the corner of her eye, unsure of his intentions. When Seto prepared to speak, she half expected him to reprimand her for keeping him up. But instead, his voice was calm and reassuring.

          "Keira, I have an idea on how to get rid of your nightmares." Seto paused and made it a point to add, "It always works for me anyway."  Keira blinked in astonishment. So Kaiba too suffered from nightmares, what an ironic but saddening twist of fate. Keira slowly slid out of bed; she paused momentarily to retrieve her dagger, which had fallen to the floor thanks to her thrashing. She then proceeded to follow Kaiba through another winding path of corridors, all the while wondering how he planed to cure her insomnia. 


	12. chapter 12

Chapter 12

            The pair arrived once again at Kaiba's dueling arena. The room lit up instantly on command, causing Keira to shield her eyes at the sudden brightness. When her eyes adjusted, they fell on the familiar control panel and glass window. Keira sighed out a heavy note of despair. This scene was all too familiar. Dueling might be a comfort to Seto, but she simply didn't have the will or strength for a battle, not when her mind was so worked up. 

            "No offense Seto, but I'm not really up to a duel right now." Keira admitted. She barely recognized the words she uttered. Her voice was as empty and emotionless as the vacant arena. Kaiba was only half listening. At the moment, he was preoccupied, rummaging around in search of the items he desired. He finally found them tucked away in a hidden cabinet underneath the control panel. Seto pulled out a set of two headbands. Attached to the bands was an optical lens that was designed to rest gently over the eyes. He handed one to Keira who glanced over the strange looking contraption. 

            "What is it?" she inquired. 

            "It's one of my earlier virtual simulation devices. It allows the wearer to have complete sensory immersion once the program is activated." 

Keira ran her fingers over the smooth metal edges of the headband. Her curiosity was starting to build. 

            "What program?" Kaiba smiled lightly. 

            "Its easier if I show you. Go into the arena and put on the headband. I'll take care of the rest." 

At Kaiba's request Keira walked into the arena and set the device on her head. The band fit snugly behind her ears and the transparent lens pieces rested comfortably in front of her eyes. Kaiba was busy at the control panel. 

            "All set?" he inquired, when everything was prepared. Keira took in a deep breath. 

            "Ready when you are…" she replied, though what she was ready for exactly, she didn't know. Keira tightened her fists, hoping that those wouldn't be her famous last words as the band on her head started to hum with power. Keira glanced around the room nervously as the soft electric wurr sounded in her ears. Strange, she didn't feel any different, and yet…her vision was starting to blur. The humming intensified, and mutated into a shrill metallic shriek. Keira closed her eyes tightly and shuddered at the unpleasant sound. What was Kaiba thinking? How could this possibly get rid of her nightmares? If anything, it would make them worse. Keira fumbled around clumsily and tried to remove the headband, but a sudden wave of dizziness caused her to loose her balance. 

Stumbling backwards, Keira reached out blindly and steadied herself on the first object she could find…a tree. The noise slowly faded and Keira tried to regain her bearings. She froze when she felt the crisp bark touch her palm. How was that possible? A few seconds ago she was in Kaiba's battle arena…and now…where was she? The warm, musty air of the tropics filled her nostrils, and the cries of jungle animals rang out in the air. Keira slowly opened her eyes. A lush rainforest filled her view. Verdant foliage and colorful flowers seemed to stretch on endlessly and a dark blue sky shone through the canapé. Keira took a hesitant step backwards, what had Kaiba done? Kaiba! The thought struck her suddenly. Where was he? 

"You still alive?" as if on cue, Seto's voice rang out clearly from the radio receiver in the headband, a feature he had neglected to tell her about. Keira could barely spit out the words fast enough. 

"Yes…I…think…I…where am I? What did you do?" though she couldn't see him anywhere, Keira could tell by the tone of his voice that Seto was smiling. 

"I told you my invention allowed for complete sensory immersion. Right now you're just experiencing a graphics program I designed. You haven't actually gone anywhere." 

"Like living in a video game…" Keira let the words roll over her tongue as she spoke them, "incredible!" She was about to ask Seto why he hadn't patented and released his invention to the public, but a sudden rustle in the underbrush nearby interrupted her thoughts. From beneath the fronds she could see a fierce pair of yellow eyes. Keira squinted, and through the branches and shadows, she could vaguely see the outline of a slender muzzle, and the glimmer of sharp teeth and claws. Strange, the animal seemed familiar somehow. 

"Uraby!" Keira cried a second to late, for no sooner had she spoke then the enormous duel monster raptor lept out of the foliage and lunged at her. Out of reflex, Keira avoided the attack at the last second…or so she thought. A stinging pain blazed on her cheek; most likely the raptor had grazed her with its claws. But no matter, this was a video game after all, nothing to worry about. Keira reached up and touched the wound on her face; a warm sticky fluid trickled down her fingers. She was _bleeding_! 

Keira evaded another strike from Uraby, this time more careful to avoid the entire blow. Apparently Seto's invention worked a little to well, no wonder he never distributed it. 

"What are you trying to do? Kill me!" she demanded out loud. Seto just snickered. 

"I'm sure you can handle yourself" he replied calmly. Keira dodged another lunge from Uraby and at the same moment hoisted herself into the branches of the nearest tree, just out of the dino's reach. 

"That may be true, but how exactly is this supposed to help me get rid of nightmares?" that was the burning question. 

"I think there are other things you should be worrying about," came Seto's response. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Keira shouted angrily. But as she did the answer was quick to arrive. A barrage of ninja throwing stars appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Keira squirmed about wildly to avoid the ones in her path. Many of them struck the branch she was standing on, and one nearly impaled her in the head. Before she could react further, a loud snapping sound filled the air. The limb she was standing on gave way and crashed to the ground, nearly falling on Uraby as he tried to retreat. 

            Keira landed a short distance away and let out a flood of obscenities through the radio receiver that made Seto wince. Angrily she stood up and looked around for the monster that had attacked her. She could see the figure of a warrior darting through the trees. Keira squinted harder, following the creature's rapid movements. What would appear as a mere shadow to a novice, Keira instantly recognized as being the armed ninja. The monster approached with lightning speed, and lashed out at Keira with its hooked weapon. 

            With reflexes just as swift, Keira evaded strike after strike, until finally one of the monsters missed attacks left his weapon lodged deep in the bark of a tree. While the ninja pulled angrily at his spear, Keira backed away, unsure of how exactly to combat the duel monster. She could use brute force, but not when her foe was covered in armor. 

            "Oh Seto…" Keira crooned into the receiver a hint of light sarcasm in her tone. "How exactly am I supposed to fight back when I don't have any weapons?" Kaiba seemed amused by her remark.

            "Look again." Perplexed Keira glanced over herself. To her surprise, her appearance had changed drastically. No longer was she wearing her tank top and shorts, instead her body was clothed in layers of fine, emerald green, satin fabric. The cloth was arranged loosely in tunic style, laced on the front and atop the shoulders and ending with a skirt that fell just above her knees. Secured across her shoulder by means of a leather strap was a case containing a sword. Keira reached back and pulled out the shimmering metal blade. It was just the right weight; light enough for her to maneuver, but strong enough to inflict the full force of her blow. 

            By this time the armed ninja had managed to pull his weapon free from its wooden prison, and was now charging at Keira, the hooked tip of his spear aimed for her throat. Keira held up her blade in defense, shielding her face from the blow and simultaneously splitting the ninja's weapon in two. Before her enemy could react, Keira darted forward and destroyed the monster with one clean stroke. 

            "Well that wasn't so hard," she commented. As she spoke however, reinforcements promptly arrived. Duel monsters of all types appeared out of foliage, each with the desire to take her down. Keira laughed lightly, as she cracked her neck and shoulders. Now that was more like it, a challenge worth fighting. 

            As Keira mentally planned her battle strategy the fearful memories that had haunted her minutes before slowly disappeared. Presently, her only concern now rested on the dangerous virtual enemies. One by one, each creature fell to precise and savage sword strokes. Even if it was only a game, Keira fought every monster with unexpected brutality, as if she was releasing a lifetime of pent up anger and hate. When the final monster fell, she remained poised and alert, awaiting another challenge.

            "Not bad," she heard Seto state through the radio receiver. Oddly though, he sounded closer. "You're a good fighter. But…" his voice trailed off suddenly. Keira tapped her foot impatiently. 

            "But what?" She finally questioned irately. A hand gripped her shoulder tightly from behind. Keira whirled around, ready to fight but was halted suddenly by a sharp blow in her stomach.

"But not good enough," was Seto's long awaited response. Out of breath, Keira let the sword fall out of her hand as she sank to her knees and simultaneously gripped her throbbing stomach. She glared angrily upward where Kaiba was now standing; himself dressed in navy blue fabric of a more masculine design. 

            Keira kept her gaze steady, despite the pain. When she finally started to regain her breath, she gingerly picked up her sword and rose to her feet. So Kaiba was looking for a fight, well far be it for her to disappoint him. Keira readied her weapon, and hissed at Seto through clenched teeth.  

            "Bring it on!" 

Keira sank to her knees in utter exhaustion, neither physically nor mentally able to continue battling. Her right hand was clutched tightly to a bloodied sword with a shattered blade, the shards of which were scattered around her. And her left hand remained clasped to her opposite shoulder in a desperate attempt to keep a penetrating wound from bleeding all over Kaiba's virtual forest floor. Her injury would heal itself in a matter of minutes, her powers would insure that, but until then she could only sit still, so as not to aggravate it further. 

She looked up at Seto, who was standing a short distance away. Pale and nearly gasping for breath, Kaiba made no attempt to move, except to wipe a streak of blood off his face. Seto could do little more until he got his second wind.  Though he may have only received a few minor cuts on his face and torso, Keira had proved herself more then an adequate sparing partner, landing hard kicks, and even harder punches on face, chest and stomach. 

Keira gently lifted her hand off her injured shoulder and rose to her feet. The bleeding had subsided and she could feel the tissues already starting to knit themselves. Healing powers did have a few advantages she supposed, but their cost far outweighed the small benefits of self-regeneration. Seto, she decided stubbornly, would not receive similar treatment. As far as she was concerned, he deserved every battle scar; sneaking up on her like that! What nerve! Still the match had been good exercise. Come to think of it, the battle had been so involved that it obliterated all memory of her nightmares. The thought of such visions wasn't nearly as frightening as it had been earlier. Keira beamed a smile as she felt the satisfying pull of tiredness on her body and mind. It was like the embrace of an old friend; not until that moment had she felt more tired, or more willing to sleep. 

By the look in Seto's face, he was obviously feeling the same effects, but he seemed happy that his plan had been successful. His cheery expression faded when he glanced down at his watch. It was five in the morning. Sleepily, Seto shut down the program and the arena, while Keira put away the simulation headbands. Then like lifeless zombies, the two made their way slowly back upstairs. No words were exchanged between the two of them; none were needed. Both knew that the match had ended in a tie, and each was clearly impressed with the others unexpected skill. Kaiba recognized Keira's silent appreciation for curing her insomnia, and at the same time Keira sensed the feelings of pride and contentment that Seto felt at having helped her. It was unusual how each had come to know the other so well after such a short time, but neither was complaining. Trust in other human beings was a rare occurrence for the both of them, and having developed a friendship out of an originally business oriented alliance was a refreshing and welcome change. 

Keira and Kaiba finally reached the upstairs in utter exhaustion. As Keira quietly opened the door to her bedroom, she paused momentarily to glance over her shoulder at Seto as he dragged himself to his own room. Though she hated to admit it, Kaiba had done her a favor, perhaps one of the greatest she had ever received. 

"Seto." Keira's tired voice drifted through the air. Kaiba stopped at his door and looked towards her with tired eyes. He was caught off guard by Keira's gentle expression. "Thanks."


	13. chapter 13

Chapter 13

Deep in the bowels of the city, in the rare hunters secluded hideaway, a shadowed figure sat motionless atop his throne, he was dressed in the typical rare hunter apparel, a navy blue cloak with the millennium symbol embroidered at the very top of the hood, but he was far from the average member. Quite the contrary, he remained the leader of the illegal organization, which he himself had created.  

Cold and bitter after a life of inherited servitude to the pharaoh, Malik wished above all else to defy tradition and seize the power he guarded for himself. To obtain it, he needed both the unlimited strength of the three Egyptian god cards and the power of pharaoh Yami, sealed within the millennium puzzle. Thanks to his own millennium item, an ancient rod with the power to enslave the minds of others, and his rare hunter servants, he had already managed to seize two of the three elusive god cards. The third card, he was certain, would not be hard to obtain once located. Receiving Yami's power, on the other hand…that would take more skill. 

Malik gritted his teeth. At this point, however, even if he did manage to retrieve the puzzle, Yami was a stubborn one, and would not come under his control easily. That was why he sought out the shadow healer. With her power amplifying his strength, and healing his monsters, victory over Yami was guaranteed. His plan seemed flawless, but one problem still remained…the shadow healer would not submit to his mind control. 

Her skill in the shadow realm had thwarted his first attempt; he had clearly underestimated her willpower. But Malik was not deterred. He would find a way to make her yield, and surrender control of her powers to him. 

"You called master?" Malik glanced up, his cerulean eyes shimmering like gems from under his hood. His highest ranking rare hunter servant stood poised a few yards away, anxiously awaiting orders.

"Yes," Malik replied. "It's about the shadow healer, I want you to bring her here." The servant looked at his master with a slightly perplexed expression. Such matters were far more easily said then done. 

"How would you propose I do that master?" he inquired as politely as possible. Malik smiled slyly, intrigued that a mere healer, someone belonging to an ancient race of slaves, had intimidated his second in command so easily. 

"I trust you'll come up with a solution," Malik responded casually. His servant nodded, having at that very moment decided on a strategy. 

"I know just the thing," he crooned in a manner so deviously, Malik immediately knew his follower's intentions. The servant turned and walked towards the exit. As he did, he raised his arm in a summing gesture. Malik watched as two large, jet black, serpentine forms arose at their authorities command, then disappeared just as quickly into the shadows. 

"Excellent," he thought to himself as he watched the beasts depart. "The crypt creepers will be more then a match for her, and once I seize the shadow healer, Yami's powers will be mine!"  

          It was late afternoon when Keira finally awoke. Despite Silver's insistent scratching at her door, she took her time getting up. It wasn't often that she felt so completely rested, and she intended to enjoy every moment of it. 

          Seto had already risen and was finishing up some work on his handheld computer outside on the patio. The evening air was calm and a warm breeze trailed the scent of wildflowers. It was the perfect day for relaxing outdoors.

          After carefully securing her deck in her pocket, Keira and Silver quietly made their way outside, anxious to enjoy the weather along with the Seto and Mokuba. The sudden sight of the beautiful Kaiba estate, with its sweeping grasses, combined with the gentle breeze and the pale sky, sent Silver into a tizzy of playfulness. Mokuba found delight in the she wolf's unexpected regression to puppyhood, and he eagerly romped alongside her until both were far out of view. 

          Keira was not too worried; playful or not, Silver was always a diligent guardian. She herself was grateful that her friend had found a playmate in Mokuba, especially since she herself was not in the mood for such excitement. For the time being, enjoying the landscape and weather sounded much more appealing. Keira took a seat across from Kaiba. As she did, Seto glanced up from his typing. His eyes rested on the shadow healer who was staring calmly at the pastel colored sky. A light breeze picked up and gently stirred her loose fronds of hair. 

          "Sleep well?" he inquired. Keira smiled lightly and nodded. 

          "Better then I have in a long time." Her answer was truthful, but she couldn't help sounding distant. Seto wasn't sure how to react to her answer, so he tried to change the subject and lighten the atmosphere. 

"They seem to get along well don't they?" he noted as Silver darted briefly into view with Mokuba chasing close behind. The younger Kaiba was trying to retrieve his bandanna, which the she-wolf now held proudly in her mouth. Keira noticed them too, and the playful chase scene cheered her slightly. 

"Yeah they do. I'm happy Silver can finally enjoy herself, I think all of my traveling has been hard on her." As Kaiba listened he found himself suddenly curious. Where exactly was Keira traveling to? Where was she from? Question after question darted through his head, but none had an answer. Funny how that in all the time Keira had been staying with him, he still knew hardly anything about her. 

"Where exactly do you live?" Seto asked almost without thinking. Keira hesitated, but decided to answer him truthfully. 

"Wherever the wind takes me I suppose." Seto seemed taken aback by her response. Though he had assumed her to be a traveler, Keira's tone seemed to suggest that she was not one of her own choice, but rather was forced to wonder. Surly she had some place to settle in, somewhere with relatives or friends she could depend on. 

"What about your family?" Keira felt her stomach lurch at the mere mention of those words. She had never had a family, only a guardian, and that term she still applied with hesitance. Her personal beginnings were a truth she could not tell Seto, or anyone for that matter. 

"I have no memory of my family," Keira lied, keeping her voice as calm as possible. It was imperative she not show any hints of emotion, lest the truth accidentally slip out. Her lie worked. Out of the corner of he eye, she could see Seto's distraught expression. 

"I'm sorry." Seto apologized sincerely, himself now feeling rather guilty for forcing the subject. Keira kept her gaze steady, only nodding to acknowledge Seto's apology. She felt bad for leading him on, but some of her secrets were best kept that way. 

          The sun was setting in the distance, bathing the sky in brilliant oranges, reds, pinks and violets. Keira closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. The peace of the surroundings was perfect for calming her agitated emotions. Everything was quiet…so quiet… Keira's eyes snapped open as she was gripped with a sudden twinge of fear. It was too quiet! No bird songs, no insects chirping, no nightly creatures calling to one another, no Mokuba and no Silver… only silence. 

          "What's the matter?" Seto asked aware of her sudden tenseness. As she opened her mouth to answer a branch snapped loudly in the distance. Keira felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and start to tingle, as her powers alerted her to the intruders' presence. 

          "Where's Mokuba?" she asked sternly so as to not arouse panic. A scream several yards away answered her question. Struck with fear Seto lept up and sprinted in the direction of his brother's cry. Keira had to run her hardest to catch up to Kaiba, but her terror far outmatched his. She was afraid, because she knew what was there. 

          "Seto!" she screamed between gasps of air, "Seto stop! You don't know what your up against!" Seto did stop; one glimpse of the intruder's massive snake body froze him in his tracks. It looked like a something out of a fairy tale, a child's worst nightmare come to life.  The beast was a solid black serpent, with the head of a monitor and the eyes of a cat. A row of spikes extended down the length of its long, scaly, form and a crest of frills adorned its head like a crown. The creature stood poised like a cobra, with head and neck stretching over six feet high. Its yellow slited eyes were fixed on Kaiba. Pulling back its massive head, the beast spit out a glob of yellow venom, which would have hit Seto in the face had Keira not dove from behind and knocked him to the ground. 

          "Don't move!" Keira hissed in his ear. In reality Seto couldn't really move even if he wanted to, not with Keira was pinning him to the ground with all her might, but he humored her by remaining motionless anyway. 

          "What _is_ that thing!" he finally managed blurt out in a harsh whisper. 

          "It's an ancient assassin and guardian of tombs…a crypt creeper. They're strong, fast, poisonous, and able to disappear into shadows…" Keira froze when the creature advanced slightly, attracted by her whispers. Hissing loudly, the beast scanned the surroundings for the human it had just attacked with its venom, but nothing came into focus. The sun was still fading in the background, seriously distorting the nocturnal hunters sight. Flaring its nostrils in annoyance, the crypt creeper turned back to its original quarry. Keira and Kaiba watched as the serpent set a menacing gaze on a small limp body. 

          "Mokuba!" Kaiba tried to shout but Keira clamped a firm hand on his mouth and stifled the scream. 

          "Listen to me! When I tell you to run…run! Understand!" Seto stared on wide-eyed, but nodded his understanding. Clearly Keira had a plan, and she intended to save both him and Mokuba, or die trying. 

          As if on cue, a ferocious snarl sounded in the air as Silver sprang out from the shrouded foliage.  Teeth bared, she landed on the serpent's head. The creature writhed and thrashed as the she-wolf bore her fangs into the back of its skull. 

          "RUN!" Keira screamed as she lept to her feet and ran towards the area where Mokuba now lay sprawled on the ground. Seto did not dare disobey, not this time. He ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction. When he reached a presumably safe distance, Seto turned to watch the drama, his heart pounding in his throat.  

          Keira reached the younger Kaiba and pulled him into her arms. He was paralyzed with fright, but otherwise unharmed. Darting and ducking, Keira ran to where Seto was waiting. Quickly she pushed Mokuba into his outstretched arms and was about to command that he get inside the house, but her order was halted when Silvers cry of pain erupted into the night. In its fit of thrashing, the serpent managed to drive Silver into the ground forcing her to release her bite. Snorting and snarling, the wolf fought to stand, but her movements were unsteady thanks to a deep gash on her foreleg. 

A wave of anger surged through Keira at the sight of her injured companion. Deep in her heart, she knew that it was her the beast was really after…and now both Silver and Mokuba had suffered for it. That thought dove her rage, and her powers, to a new intensity. Gripping her dueling deck tightly she advanced forward, the healer symbol blazing on her forehead. 

After shaking its head to insure that the wolf was no longer clinging to it, the serpent turned its fiery gaze on the human that was approaching. Keira stared back, with a gaze just as menacing. 

          "Hideous creature!" The shadow healer shouted into the night. The serpent hissed a loud and fierce reply, but the display did not frighten Keira, on the contrary, it infuriated her further. "What are you waiting for? It's me you want! Strike now if you dare!" the animals hiss sharpened into a roar as it opened its massive jaws and lashed out a blue forked tongue. With increasing speed, the crypt creeper started to charge.

          Keira reached in her pocket and pulled out the top card from her deck. It was exactly the magic card she needed. Focusing all power on the card, the symbol on her head shone ever brighter, and the air around her body seemed to erupt in a pale yellow light. The Kaiba brothers watched from a distance as Keira raised her head to the sky and started to shout. 

          "Hear me my creatures! I need your strength! Help me as I once helped you!" while she spoke, the aura around her grew bolder and brighter. Keira fixed her eyes on the creeper who had come to a halt, blinded by the light. 

          Keira held the magic card in her fingertips and stretched her arm above her head. "I now invoke the magic of…tremendous fire!" A flash of scarlet light shimmered from the card and simultaneously the energy aura around Keira's body started to change to a new color. Starting from her hand and working its way down, the yellow glow was replaced by red flames. Keira continued to build power until even her eyes shone crimson, then with a fierce blast, she set a jet of fire at her foe; the flames flying from the tips of her outstretched fingers. 

          The serpent screamed in agony as its body was consumed in flames. Seto and Mokuba watched agog while the snake writhed about, unable to retreat and escape its doom at the hands of the quarry it been seeking. Eventually the glowing inferno around Keira subsided, as did the bonfire burning on Kaiba's lawn. In the midst of a small portion of the scorched landscape, lay the charred and smoking body of the no longer threatening crypt creeper. 

          Keira breathed out as she felt her power levels return to normal. Her eyes stopped burning red, and the energy glow around her body disappeared, as did the healer symbol. She glanced over her shoulder first at Silver then at Seto and Mokuba. Aside from what damage was already done, no one was harmed, much to her relief. Still, she couldn't help feeling that there was something amiss…. A twig snapped, and Keira turned her head just in time to catch a glimpse of something dark in the corner of her eye. 

          Mokuba had seen it too, but until that point he had been too terrified to find his voice. 

          "Look out!" he managed to cry. A second crypt creeper flew from the shadows just as he uttered the warning. Keira reacted instantly. Drawing her dagger from her belt, she met the creature's lunge with an attack of her own. Evading the serpent's assault by mere inches, Keira lashed her blade across the creature's throat as it passed her. The snake, now bleeding all over itself and the ground, spun around ready to strike at Keira one last time. Too late.   

A sickening smack sounded in the air as the blade of Keira's dagger embedded itself between the serpent's eyes and into its brain. The animal fell limply to the ground, its life gone. 

          Keira stood still for a few seconds not wanting to make any further movements until she was sure both creatures were dead, and that there were no more waiting in ambush. There was no movement, other then Silver's painful limping over to her friend. The wolf had already sensed the danger was past. Keira walked over to Silver, then knelt and embraced the wolf around the neck. Silver waited patiently, allowing Keira to bury her face in her milky white fur until she regained her composure. Her human companion was so relieved that everyone was still alive after encountering the creepers that she could barely maintain control of her emotions. With good reason. Very few parties, past or present, could boast a similar outcome when targeted by the murderous creatures. After a minute or so Keira finally looked Silver in the eyes. 

          "Show me your wound." Keira insisted gently. Silver obeyed and hoisted her injured foreleg up as best she could. Tenderly Keira took the wolf's paw in one hand and examined the injury. It was deep, but nothing her powers couldn't handle. 

          "Is she okay?" Mokuba's concerned voice got Keira's attention. The healer turned her head slowly. The Kaiba brothers were at her side. Mokuba looked paler then usual, probably at the sight of Silvers white fur stained red. 

          "She'll be alright," Keira assured him. "Remember how I helped your brother? I'm doing the same thing for Silver." That statement was true enough. Her healing abilities were tending to the wound as she spoke. 

"You see…" Keira pointed out to Mokuba as he stared on with helpless eyes. "The wound is already starting to heal." Silver drew back her lips and formed a toothy wolf grin. Keira certainly wasn't exaggerating. All that remained of her cut was a slight impression on her pink flesh. The area would be tender for a short while, but aside from that, everything was fine. Mokuba seemed relieved, but nonetheless eager to help. 

          "You should wrap it so it won't get infected," he noted matter of factly as he pulled out his favorite bandanna. Gingerly he tied the cloth around Silvers leg. "There! How's that feel?" Silver wagged her tail happily, and even with a limp managed to push over Mokuba in a show of affection. 

          Keira smiled and rose slowly. She was still agitated, but tried not to show it. But her restlessness was apparent to Kaiba who rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

          "I have a really bad feeling…" Keira whispered quietly. Seto tightened his grip, as if to reassure her that he was still there. 

          "About what?" Keira ignored him and walked forward towards the carcass of the second crypt creeper; the one gored by her dagger. The stench of the creature's blood was repulsive and Keira had to catch herself to make sure she didn't faint from it. Shielding her nose and mouth with her hand, Keira knelt down and pulled her dagger free from the creatures head. As she did, a strange marking just above where her blade had impacted caught her eye. Carefully, with the end of her knife, she turned the creatures face towards her. The marking was gray, only a few shads lighter then the serpent's body, but Keira recognized it immediately. It was the millennium symbol. Though many objects and forces from the ancient past bore this mark, only one group would dare have such dark and hideous demons as crypt creepers at their disposal. 

          "It's the crest of the rare hunters," she hissed quietly, though she hadn't meant to announce it out loud. Silver had sensed her companion's unease and hobbled over beside her. One look at the crypt creepers marking made the wolf shiver in both anger and fear. The situation was much more dangerous then either could have imagined. The rare hunters were a vast organization known for getting their own way no matter what the cost. And now it was clear what they wanted was…a shadow healer. If they didn't know her location already, they would soon enough, and that would most likely lead to drastic consequences for both the Kaiba brothers. It was a risk she would not take; she had to leave, at least until things settled down. 

          Using her dagger, Keira cut out both of the crypt creepers fangs. Though deadly weapons when the creature was living, once removed they were prized tokens because of the protection they gave whoever possessed them. Keira stood and set the two fangs in Seto's hand. 

          "I want you and Mokuba to wear these around your neck. It will protect you in case the creepers come again." though it was an understatement of the artifacts true shielding abilities, the explanation was good enough for the moment. Kaiba looked at her perplexed but said nothing. Satisfied that Seto would do as she told, Keira motioned to Silver and the pair started to head away from the house into the night. 

          Where are you going?" Kaiba asked, surprised by Keira's sudden leaving. Mokuba stood next to his brother wearing an expression that conveyed the same question. 

          "I have to go away for a while. It will be safer for you if I'm not staying here. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I promise I'll make it back before the tournament with the god cards." Mokuba stepped forward, ready to plead that she and Silver not leave, but Seto held him back with a stern hand. 

          "Keep in touch," he said trying to keep his voice steady. Keira shook her head. 

          "Actually its better if I don't. I don't want the rare hunters tracing me back to you." Keira saw the hidden concern in Seto's eyes, so she made it a point to add. "Don't worry, I can handle myself." With that, she and Silver departed. The Kaiba brothers watched as they disappeared into the dark.


	14. chapter 14

Chapter 14

          Keira's plan was simple enough. She would use her powers to knock down the rare hunters organization… one individual at a time if necessary. Like any with knowledge of the ancient art of the shadow games, she too could use her powers to send weak-minded humans to the shadow realm. And that's exactly what she planned to do, once she managed to lure out her rare hunter victims. It was an aggressive measure, but the only definite way to eliminate the threat they posed. It was also a good way to seek out the Egyptian god cards, which the rare hunters most likely possessed. All she needed was the right bait, a card so rare, so valuable, that no hunter could possibly pass up the opportunity to seize it. Luckily for her, one such card was currently in her deck. 

          Keira walked casually down the sidewalk along the busy streets, Silver in stride. With Kaiba's tournament starting at the end of the week, card sellers practically littered the streets trying to strike the best deals with passers by. The rare hunters, Keira was sure, were just as numerous. The tricky part was luring them out. 

          Walking over to the nearest card seller, a scruffy looking fellow who kept his rarest cards tucked away in the inner lining of his jacket, Keira forced the curious and simultaneously clueless look of a beginning duelist. 

          "Um excuse me." Keira addressed the gentlemen as if she was a flirty schoolgirl "are you selling duel monster cards?" just for effect, Keira pretended to glance through the cards he had displayed out on a rickety table. The man grinned, buying into her gullible rookie routine. 

          "You bet lady, I got all kinds." Keira forced an exaggerated smile. 

          "Do you trade cards too?" 

          "Yep" the man answered. 

          "Oh goodie!" Keira cried clapping her hands excitedly. She tried hard to ignore silvers snickering as she pressed on, ready to set the bait. "I don't suppose you'd want to trade anything for this card?" Keira smiled innocently and held up her blue eyes white dragon card for the seller to see. As expected, the man's jaw almost hit the pavement.  

"Tha…that's a blue eyes white dragon!" he stammered loudly "Where did you get it?" 

"Oh this?" Keira looked at the card. "…Its just something I picked up. Is it valuable?" she made sure to put extra emphasis on that inquiry. 

"Valuable!" the vender cried loudly "It's one of the rarest cards in the game!" Keira pretended to act shocked. 

"Oh! Really! Wow! Well in that case…" Keira held onto her card snugly as she turned and started to walk away, "I think I'll hold onto it." Though her back was turned, she could clearly envision the seller's frustrated expression. He had after all, lost the greatest trade opportunity in history thanks to his gawking. As amusing as the situation was, Keira quickly refocused on the task at hand. Surly the seller's announcement of her coveted card had attracted the rare hunters attention. They were probably following her at that very moment. The bait was set, all that was left was to bring her prey into the open and spring the trap. 

Keira casually walked into a nearby alleyway. If that didn't scream   
"ambush me" nothing would. Sure enough, a group of them promptly arrived. Keira ignored them momentarily; traveling deeper into the ally so there would be no witnesses. 

"Stop right there!" a hunter finally shouted. Keira did stop, and she replied in a chilling voice. 

"Are you addressing me?" Keira turned her head slightly to get a glimpse of her quarry. There were three hunters, all cloaked in black. The leader of the three had a long, lean face with pointy features, and beatie blue eyes. He seemed genuinely surprised by Keira's sudden change in manner.

"You will fight me in a duel," he announced trying to sound dominant "and if you loose you'll surrender your blue eyes white dragon card!" Keira scowled. Was that a threat? Abruptly she turned and fixed eyes with the leader, as a dark smile crept across her face. 

"I don't think so," Keira's calm and dangerous tone left the rare hunters suddenly uneasy. The leader was especially nervous. He had, after all, been expecting an easy duel with an air-headed rookie duelist, and now suddenly the situation was completely different.   

          Keira's eyes widened and her mouth twisted into a demonic…evil sneer. 

"You foolish hunters…you just fell into my trap!" she snarled loudly. The healer symbol blazed brightly on her head, freezing the hunters in their tracks. "Now it is you who are the prey!" as her powers continued to intensify, Keira seized her victims weak minds with her own and held them in a deadly bind. There was no escape for them; no way they could break free from her searing mental grip. All they could do was scream. 

The healer symbol continued to glow brighter until the entire alleyway was illuminated with a blinding golden light. The entryway to the shadow realm was prepared; all that was needed now was a gentle shove to topple the three hunters into oblivion. 

The light faded slowly; as Keira let her power levels subside and return to normal. All that remained of her rare hunter victims were three black cloaks, and a plethora of cards scattered on the ground. Keira felt herself perk with curiously at the sight of the abandoned cards. Many gave off strong auras. Keira approached the pile from the lead rare hunter. Three sets of exodia greeted her, along with a red eyes black dragon, and even more rare magic and monster cards. Keira carefully collected the strewn cards in a neat pile and tucked them away safely in her pocket. Then she gathered up the hunters cloaks, and after removing the chain clasp from each, deposited them in the nearest dumpster. 

The golden chains she kept as a trophy. As for the cards…many of the choicest spoils would go to her deck, seeing as how she was the victor of the hunt. The rest she would find good homes…with a seller or a promising beginner duelist. For some of the stray cards however, she had more specific plans in mind. 

Keira exited the ally, silver beside her, and headed down the street towards Solomon's game shop. It was time to return the favor he and his grandson had done for her. 

Solomon opened the door and was surprised to find a small package waiting outside on the pavement. The box was addressed to Yugi. Carrying the package carefully, Solomon presented it to his grandson as he came downstairs. 

"Yugi, this came for you," Solomon said as he handed Yugi the small box. Yugi looked it over curiously. 

"Whose it from?" he asked. Solomon shrugged. 

"It doesn't say." Yugi looked at the tiny package anxiously as he opened it. Inside resting neatly in folds of tissue paper was a complete set of exodia cards. Yugi nearly dropped the box. 

"Exodia!" he gasped in utter amazement "but who would send…" before he could finish the question, a note inside the package caught his eye. Gingerly he pulled out the small piece of paper and read the message. 

_Yugi, I thought you might need this for the tournament. Also would you please give the other enclosed card to Joey, I heard he wanted it back. _

_Yours, Keira._

Perplexed Yugi looked further into the box. Underneath the exodia cards was a red eyes black dragon. Yugi was stunned, but even more curious. He was happy to have exodia cards again, and he was sure Joey would appreciate the red eyes, but one thing still bothered him. Where did Keira get all those cards?

Malik shot an angry glare at his rare hunter henchmen as he nervously approached. The look on his servants face conveyed a bad report and that was the last thing Malik wanted to hear. 

"Master Malik…" the hunter began. Malik raised an eyebrow. 

"What is it?" he growled. The annoyance in his voice apparently made his follower even more nervous because the man started to stutter as he replied.

 "Our sources indicate th...that… three more of our followers have vanished!" Malik sat upright, his hands tightening into fists. That made the count over a dozen rare hunters in only three days! Narrowing his eyes, Malik pursed his lips in an angry grimace. 

"It's that healer!" he snarled,  "apparently she doesn't know when to surrender. " The rare hunter looked timidly at his master. 

"Should we set another trap for her sir?" he asked in the hopes of avoiding his master's wrath by providing whatever assistance he could. 

"No!" Malik shook his head. "It's time I take things into my own hands."  He was tired of delays and traps that didn't work. This time he would be more direct. Malik stood, and fixed his servant with fierce glare that sent him running from the room in a panic. Slowly he made his way toward the exit, the millennium rod held securely under his cloak. It was time he did some hunting of his own. 


	15. chapter 15

Chapter 15

Keira's eyes darted swiftly over the duel monsters price guide catalog sitting on the café table in front of her. She was anxious to find information on the various shops in town, mostly to see which ones would take the cards she had been accumulating. Just that morning she had taken in five more abandoned decks. Granted the monsters were happy to be away from their previous rare hunter commanders, but she could only carry so many. There was always Mr. Mutou's shop…perhaps she should pay him another visit.  

Keira sighed heavily and looked down at Silver. The wolf was lying quietly on the shaded pavement, knowing hungrily on a meaty bone. The wolf, aware of her friends gaze, wagged her tail happily. Keira smiled but only halfheartedly. Three days search and still no god cards, surly one of those blasted hunters had them. What was she doing wrong? What was she missing? 

Keira looked up when voices from across the street distracted her. She recognized them as belonging to Yugi and his friends.  

"Hey isn't that Keira??" Tea was asking as she looked over in her direction. Tea's inquiry was confirmed by Yugi who eagerly voiced a greeting. 

"Yeah it is Hi Keira!" Keira looked over and waved a friendly return as Yugi, Tea, Tristen and Joey crossed the street and journeyed her way.   

"Hi Yugi! Long time no see." Yugi beamed a happy smile at her.  

"Yeah it has been.  How are things going?" 

"Good," she answered as she closed the catalog gently. 

"I'm glad to hear it." 

In the background Keira could see Joey fidgeting anxiously. He was obviously itching to say something to her, but he didn't want to interrupt Yugi. Eventually he gave up trying to be polite and burst out before Yugi could continue the conversation. 

"Where did you get those cards!" he hollered attracting the attention to everyone within earshot. Embarrassed at the scene he had caused, Joey quieted down, but his curiosity remained.  

"Oh you got my present." Keira remarked casually. Her attitude seemed to catch everyone off guard. After all, very few duelists went around handing out prized cards. 

"Yeah we got em alright, now where'd you get them!" Keira maintained her calm expression. If only they knew. 

"They were given to me," she answered. That statement was true enough. Yugi and company gawked at her in amazement. Who would have the kind of money to fork out rare cards? Only one name came to Yugi's mind. 

"By who? Kaiba?" Keira laughed loudly amused by Yugi's suggestion.  

"No." she shook her head slowly and tried to toss off the few remaining giggles. "I got them from a group called the rare hunters."

          "The rare hunters!" all four friends gasped in unison. Keira shrugged, curious to know which part of her sentence they failed to understand. 

"They're the ones who cornered me and took my red eyes!" Joey burst out. Keira tried hard to look surprised or at least a little interested in Joey's story, but it was difficult. As she listened, Keira also had to make sure to keep her mouth clamped shut tightly, so that none of the smart-alic comments buzzing through her mind would accidentally slip out.  

"With all those rare cards," Joey continued, "it's nearly impossible to beat them!" 

"Joeys right," Yugi chimed in "how did you manage to defeat them?" Keira smiled slyly. That was an answer she would leave up to their interpretation. 

"I made them an offer they couldn't refuse." Tristen and Tea looked around uneasily, they seemed to be catching on to Keira's hints. From the look on his face, Yugi didn't really know what to think. His inner half Yami probably understood Keira's statement, but Yugi himself was still a little naive. Joey's face reflected a blank expression. 

"Whad do you mean?" he inquired having not caught on to the dangerous notions flickering in Keira's eyes. His question was answered quiet abruptly by Silver, who at that moment decided to chomp loudly on the bone she was chewing. The eerie crunching that filled the air gave Yugi and his friends the shivers. Nervously the group looked down at the wolf. Blood flecks spattered the ground and her face as she chewed. But what was even more unnerving then the she-wolf's dangerous expression, were the gold chain bracelets adorning her paws. They looked suspiciously like the broaches worn by the rare hunters. Slowly Yugi and his friends turned their eyes to Keira, in the hopes that she would provide an explanation other then what they were imagining. Their unease was not settled. Keira herself was twirling one of the golden chains on her finger. Yugi in particular watched Keira closely as she handled the broach. Her eyes were still and serious almost dangerous and Yugi sensed the cold vibrations radiating from her psyche. Yugi could almost hear the screams of the rare hunters echoing on the wind. 

Keira closed her eyes and caught the chain in a tight fist. When she opened them again, the four friends, Yugi in particular, looked very shaken. Her sudden change in attitude must have been unnerving for them. Quietly she tucked the golden chain away in her pocket. Keira supposed she should have dropped the topic much earlier on. It wasn't her place to discuss such matters in the open. She was just about to apologize when suddenly Silver alerted her to something unexpected. The Kaiba brothers were coming out of a shop a short ways down the street. Mokuba recognized them instantly and ran over waving.

"Hi Keira!" he called happily. Keira smiled as the youngster approached. His presence considerably lightened the atmosphere. 

"Hi Mokuba." Silver trotted over to Mokuba wagging her tail happily and greeted him with her customary wolf kissies. Mokuba was overjoyed. Eagerly he glanced over his shoulder and called to Seto who was still lingering at the shop front. 

"Hey Seto! Come on over! Look who I found!" Seto turned in the direction of his brother. For a brief moment he seemed to perk up. Seeing Keira safe was a welcome surprise. He was about to voice a greeting of his own until he noticed the company she was keeping. 

"Seto!" Mokuba continued, surprised by his brothers hesitation, "Come on!" 

Seto turned up his nose. An afternoon with Keira was one thing, but he would not subject himself to anything that involved Yugi and his group. Mokuba was baffled by his brother's behavior while Keira was downright annoyed. 

"What's the matter Kaiba? You too full of yourself to even come over and say hi!" Keira's biting remark got Kaiba's attention. Though reluctant, Seto finally approached grumbling under his breath. Keira rolled her eyes. 

"Sheesh! What an attitude." Yugi and the others watched dumbfounded. It wasn't every day that someone spoke to Seto Kaiba like that.  Keira, who didn't seem concerned in the slightest by the tone she was using, casually offered Seto a chair. 

"Here sit down," she suggested. Kaiba responded to her gesture with a cold glare. Keira rolled her eyes in annoyance. She wasn't sure why Seto was suddenly acting this way towards her, but she would not tolerate it. Reaching out Keira grabbed Seto's long overcoat and yanked it hard, knocking him off balance and into the chair. Seto gritted his teeth at the humiliation and continued to fix Keira with a piercing stare, which she naturally ignored. Joey however, could not pass up the opportunity to disgrace Kaiba. Eagerly he flashed a mischievous grin in Seto's direction. 

"He he…look who's the dog now!" Seto was infuriated with Joey. Angrily he clenched his hands into fists; one more remark like that and he would pound Joey senseless. 

"Don't let her pull your chain!" Joey continued to tease. Seto started to stand, his anger flaring, but Keira stopped his threat. Clamping a hand down on his shoulder, she forced him back into the chair.  

"Seto don't!" she hissed in his ear. Though personally she thought a brawl between him and Joey would be interesting, it was not at all the appropriate place for it. Joey was delighted by Seto's increasing impatience and humiliation. 

"Seto sit! Good boy!" he giddily chirped out. That drew the line, on Keira's patience. She failed to see the humor in his taunting references, and frankly found it somewhat insulting, not just for Seto, but for the animals he disgraced. Joey remained oblivious to Keira's annoyance. He was so completely absorbed in his own humorous accomplishment that he didn't notice Silver approaching him fur bristled and tail raised. 

Before anyone could react, Silver had lunged, sending Joey crashing to the sidewalk. Pinning him down with her weight, Silver snarled loudly sending flecks of saliva splattering in Joeys face. Joey yelped out in alarm, but that was all he could do. Horrified at his friends treatment, Yugi turned his gaze on Keira in the hopes that she might recall her companion. Her expression however, revealed that Silver had attacked on her order. 

"Now Joey," Keira began in a calm but reprimanding voice "you wouldn't be insulting dogs would you…. because silver and I find it very offensive." Joey looked timidly up into Silvers eyes. They were filled with a wild rage he had never expected nor would he ever forget. "Dogs aren't just sniveling servants to people," Keira continued "they are devoted pack animals, loyal, kind and trustworthy." The healer narrowed her eyes. "They're also fierce hunters…. and they don't take kindly to anyone who threatens one of their own." The others watched as Joey frantically tried to spit out an apology. 

"Er…sorry…. I didn't mean," he finally managed to say, though with great difficulty with the weight on his chest. Tristen finally decided to come to Joey's defense. 

"Take it easy, he was just joking," he told Keira as casually as possible. "Weren't you Joey?" He hinted in Joey's direction with clenched teeth. Joey nodded franticly. 

"Yeah…a joke…that's it…. only joking…." Joey laughed nervously. He wondered if Tristen's excuse would get him off the hook. Luckily, Keira decided to back off for the moment, but not without a final warning.  

"I hope so…for your sake." With her point vividly made, Keira motioned to Silver with her eyes. The wolf took the cue and snorted in Joey's face before she returned to her friend's side. 

Seto watched as Tristen, Tea and Yugi helped Joey to his feet. It made him glad to know that he was not one of Keira's enemies. Still he supposed her speech had some logic behind it, and in the future he would keep his references to Joey's canineism at a bare minimum. 

After a few minutes of re-grouping and allowing tempers to cool, Yugi and his friends, along with the Kaiba brothers eventually got settled comfortably at the same table. Keira ordered them all some munchies. She felt guilty about being so short tempered that afternoon. The continual failure over the past three days of probably contributed to it. Still that was no reason to take it out on her friends. Joey, who was sitting across from her, seemed genuinely apologetic, so she allowed him to take double portions when the treats arrived. 

With the atmosphere significantly lighter, Keira decided to start a new topic of conversation. 

"So what have you guys been up to?" Yugi thought for a moment then he remembered that evening's event.  

"Well we were going to go to the school dance tonight." Keira raised en eyebrow. 

"Oh…"  

"Yeah," Yugi continued. "It's going to be great, almost everyone is going!" Keira tapped her fingers lightly on the tabletop. Sounded to her like the four friends were in for an enjoyable evening. She was almost jealous of them. Not for the dance, but for their youthful and carefree spirits "hmm…sounds fun." Keira commented. Judging by the thoughtful way Tea was staring at her, Keira's wistfulness must have been evident in her voice. 

 Tea had this uncanny way of reading people, then trying to boost their spirits somehow. It didn't take her long to come up with a solution for Keira's situation, though her reasoning behind Keira's sadness was quiet off.  

"Hey I have an idea!" she cried with a sudden burst of enthusiasm "Why don't you come with us!" she suggested. Keira was dumbfounded. Did Tea mean to the dance?

"Who?" Keira looked all around before she realized Tea was indeed talking about her, "me?!" 

"Yeah why not!" Tristen chimed in supporting Tea's idea. Keira looked down at her plate mortified. Why did she have to be so wishful it always got her into trouble! She envied the group because of their carefree attitudes, not their evenings plans. 

"Well…I…." Keira tried to answer, but she could barely spit out the words. She had to be firm; she had no desire to go to a high school dance, plus she still had so much work to do. Keira had to find those god cards before the week was over, end of story. "I…don't really have anything to wear!" Keira wanted to slap herself. At the last second she lost her nerve and she was sure that answer would come back to haunt her. Keira bit her lip hard so she could focus on something besides her own blushing. Sure enough, she was right. Her excuse didn't thwart Tea in the slightest. 

"Well that's no problem, we could go shopping this afternoon," Tea announced. Great, just what she wanted to hear. 

"Er…. I suppose…. but…" Keira stammered. Desperately she tried to think of a more effective excuse, one that Tea could not find her way around. "I don't have anyone to go with." There was no avoiding that fact. She was home free. Tea could not respond to that one… 

"My brother could take you!" Mokuba voiced out suddenly, leaving Seto with a look as dumbfounded as Keira's.  

          "Whaa…now wait a second I never said…" Seto started to protest. Mokuba turned and gave what had to be the saddest puppy face ever. 

"Come on Seto, you hardly ever get out of the house anymore." Seto had seen the act before, and after years of exposure was nearly immune to his brothers pleading.  

"I have a company to run Mokuba, I don't have time to…." Seto started to say, but Mokuba interrupted. 

"But you've been so busy lately, why don't you take a break for a change?" Seto opened his mouth to try and form a comeback, but no answer came. Mokuba had made a point that he could not argue, and it annoyed him to no end. From across the table Joey was watching the argument taking place intently. So Kaiba didn't want to go to the dance, what a perfect opportunity for revenge. If he could somehow get Kaiba to go, there was no telling the number of chances he himself could get to pay him back for all the humiliation. Joey flashed a grin in Kaiba's direction. He had a plan. 

          "Ahh I think I see what's going on" Joey mused," Kaiba's afraid!" As expected, Seto turned his full attention on Joey.  

"Excuse me?" he growled. 

"You heard me, you're afraid to have a little fun for once in your life!" Kaiba looked ready to explode. 

"You're the one who should be afraid!" he threatened, shaking a fist in Joey's direction. Joey made a similar gesture. 

"Oh yeah!" 

"Come on guys…not this again," Yugi tried to act as the voice of reason. There was just no stopping those two. Keira would have broken up the fight herself, but something had distracted her. A dangerously familiar energy, not to far away, was very slowly coaxing her mind into submission. Keira lost all sense of what was happening around her, all she could feel was the alluring pull on her mind and powers. They were so close, and she so worn from using her powers, that she could barely fight their will. 

_"Come to me shadow healer" _a whispery voice sounded in her head. Keira clenched her hands into fists. It took all the strength she had to remain seated. She recognized the presence, but this time it seemed slightly different, stronger. She wasn't sure why until she felt it. The two blazing unforgettable energies of the renegade duel monsters that nearly killed her…the Egyptian god cards! They were helping the stranger…whoever he was, and she was once again their target. Keira wanted to cry out, tell her friends what was happening, but she couldn't speak. As long as her mind was at their mercy, so was her body. 

Silver rose slowly, aware that something was amiss. Her friend was behaving very strangely; staring off into the distance as if in a trance, and she wasn't responding at all to her calls. Silver set her ears forward as she followed Keira's gaze with her own. Her sight fell on a human figure, partially concealed in the shadows at the end of the street corner. From what she could see, the stranger was draped in a long blue cloak. His face was hidden, with the exception of several strands of white hair, which shone through his cowl. He was holding some kind of golden weapon in his hand… Silver took a step forward and let out a low, threatening growl. The stranger didn't move. Silver walked forward a few more steps, her growl growing in intensity. 

The wolf's actions eventually got Mokuba's attention. His concern quickly spread to the others, who watched the animal with growing anxiety. Soon all eyes were on Silver as she continued to walk forward, all that is except for Seto. His gaze had instead fallen on Keira. He was horrified by what he saw. Keira had gone completely pale. Her eyes were wide and transfixed, and a faint, eerie flicker of gold shone in them. Gently Kaiba touched her shoulder to try and awaken her from her trance like state. He recoiled instantly when his palm rested on tightly tensed muscle. 

Silver walked forward a few more paces, her warning growl loud and continuous. The figure still didn't move. Silver could feel Keira's mind beginning to give in. Unless she did something fast, her friend would be lost to this mind-slayer. Silver felt a wave of energy start to perk within her. It started in her paws, and quickly spread up her entire body. It was the power Keira had given to her when their souls first connected so many years ago. Fixing her eyes strait ahead, Silver felt the alluring energy vibrations of the stranger radiating through the air. One good jolt was all she needed to throw off his energy flow and stop his silent assault. Silver forced the inner energy she held too fly from her being like a bolt of lightning. Though her attack was invisible, it struck with such force, that the cloaked figure winced, stumbled backwards and fell over before he made a hasty retreat. 

"Silver what's the matter? What do you see?" Mokuba asked as he gently rested a hand on Silver's tensed shoulders. The wolf snorted. Apparently she was the only one who had seen the attacker. Conveniently, at that very moment, an ally cat poked its head out of a trashcan a short distance away. Mokuba and the others laughed as the cat scurried away from the wolf's menacing stare. Relieved that the threat was gone, Silver trotted back over to Keira who was beginning to refocus on reality. 

          "Soooo…" Tea broke the silence by getting back to the original topic. Keira blinked, allowing the surroundings to come into focus. 

          "Huh?" Keira responded out of reflex. Her memory was so cloudy that it took her a second to even recall where she was. The previous conversation Tea was referring to didn't register at all. 

"Are you coming or not?" Coming…coming to what? Keira gently rubbed her forehead, in the hopes that a massage would help her recall what exactly had happened. In the meantime, Tea was waiting for an answer. 

"Um…. sure I'll come with you," Keira finally answered so as not to seem rude.

"Great!"  Tea and her friends were overjoyed. Seto on the other hand was very unnerved. What happened to Keira seemed dangerously familiar and he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't over. Her services as an employee were important, but so was her friendship, and he wouldn't risk losing either. 

"I'll come too," he added. All at once Keira remembered what she had just committed herself to, and Seto's statement left her at a loss for words. The others just gawked stupidly. 

"You will!" they all answered in unison. Seto acted quite composed, as if this was something he did every day. 

"Sure. Maybe Mokuba's right. I have been cooped up too much lately. Its time for a change of atmosphere." With that said, Seto stood and started to leave. "I'll see you there." Utterly stunned Mokuba watched his brother for a few seconds. His plan was to get Seto to spend some time alone with Keira, but he didn't think this suggestion would actually succeed.  

"Wow…it worked" he commented before he ran to catch up with his brother "Hey Seto wait up!" Keira watched as the Kaiba brothers left. She was still in shock about the whole thing.  

"What did I just get myself into?" she mumbled rubbing a hand between her eyes. When she glanced up again, Tea's face was beaming. Jumping out of her seat, she grabbed Keira by the arm. 

"Come on! We've got shopping to do!" she cried quite giddily. Keira was going to role her eyes, but she was dragged out of her seat before she got the chance. "See you tonight boys!" Tea called to Yugi and the others as she pulled Keira down the sidewalk. Silver shook her head and followed, amused by the unusual behavior of teenage girls.  


	16. chapter 16

Chapter 16

Keira returned to the Kaiba mansion later that day with a slender box tucked securely under one arm, and a shopping bag dangling from the other. During her outing, she and Tea had run into one of Tea's more fashion inclined friends, a girl by the name of Mai Valentine.  Though a little obnoxious, Mai gave Keira a lot of useful advice. Useful, that is for her, not her wallet. After hours of browsing and turning down Tea and Mai's…unique outfit suggestions, Keira finally spotted a dress she actually liked. It was a long, elegant white dress made of a satin material. Since it was sleeveless, she got an imitation white fur wrap at Silver's suggestion to cover her shoulders. Mai helped her select the right makeup and other styling parafanilla that she didn't really need, but would make her look nicer. In truth, the entire day was overwhelming. Keira was a complete armature at dressing to impress, but she would give it her best try. 

          After hours of preparation and lots of mistakes, Keira finally found a look she approved of. She was just finishing the last bit of styling on her hair when a knock sounded on her bedroom door. 

          "Its open." Keira called out. She heard the door creek open and the footsteps of Mokuba approaching. 

"You almost ready to go?" he asked. 

"Almost" Keira replied as she slipped another bobby pin in her hair. Finally she was finished, and in her opinion didn't look half bad. Now it was time to face the two critics in her room. Keira stepped out of the bathroom shyly. 

"What do you think?" she asked Mokuba and Silver. Mokuba smiled. 

"You look really nice," he commented politely. Silver looked up from her position on Keira's bed and wagged her tail. Her opinion wasn't nearly as subtle. 

_"Wow! Aren't you're a knock out!" _Keira felt her cheeks turn pink. 

"Oh...thanks." Keira smiled. Then she turned to the younger Kaiba.  "I'm trusting you to take care of Silver while I'm gone." she said to Mokuba as she walked over to the bed and scratched the wolf under the chin. Mokuba nodded. 

"Don't worry I will." At that moment, Seto made his appearance.

He was dressed in a neatly pressed black tux. As much as Keira hated to admit it, at that moment Seto was absolutely the most handsome creature she had ever seen. 

"Wow look at you!" she said with a composed but happy smile. Seto forced a little grin as he started to recover from the shock of seeing Keira so…so beautiful! Her hair was pulled up on her head in a neat twist and several white tipped wisps hung down in her face. And the dress was breathtaking; it suited her perfectly.  

"You don't look half bad yourself" he finally managed to say after looking her over. Seto felt himself blush slightly and so made it a point to add in stubbornly "… not that I care." 

A few minutes later Seto's black limo arrived at the front of the house. Silver and Mokuba watched from the doorway as Keira and Seto climbed in. 

"Bye! Have a good time!" Mokuba cheered as he waved them on. Keira smiled and waved back as the car pulled out of the driveway. No doubt Mokuba would provide Silver with excellent care. As Keira leaned back on the soft leather cushions, she got another glimpse of herself in the rear view mirror and had to laugh. 

"I can't believe they talked me into this," she giggled as she looked over herself.  "What was I thinking?" Seto shook his head lightly, also amazed that he was in the situation.  

"How do you think I feel?" he asked as he tried for the millionth time to keep his bowtie strait. "I can't believe you agreed to this." Keira glared and jabbed Seto in the ribs with her elbow. 

"Hey don't pin all this on me! You helped too," Keira lowered her voice in a mocking imitation of Seto "Mr. "its time for a change in atmosphere!" Seto turned up his nose. 

The more Keira thought about it, the more Seto's behavior had puzzled her. He had willingly volunteered to be her escort…but why? It didn't appear he was getting anything beneficial out of it and it wasn't in his character to be so generous without good reason. Rather then mill on about it, Keira decided to ask him.  

"What was all that about exactly?" she inquired, referring of course to the excuse he made up to come. To her surprise, Seto seemed unprepared to give an answer. 

"Nothing…." Seto began trying to form an explanation other then his concern for Keira's safety. "I just had a lot of things on my mind…I wasn't thinking." Keira stared at him for minute, she believed his answer, but was still stunned that Seto would allow himself to be caught at such a weak moment.  

"I never thought I'd see the day when someone would catch you off guard Seto Kaiba!" Seto leaned back, glancing at Keira in all her beauty. In truth, it was not Yugi or his friends who had taken him by surprise, it was the woman sitting next to him. In the mere weeks they had known each other, she had become closer to him then any other individual even dared. 

If only she knew.  

The limo pulled up in front of Domino High School right on schedule. As Seto helped Keira out of the car, they received envious and amazed stares from several people around them. For Seto, this reaction was nothing new. But for Keira, it was utterly nerve-wracking. Anxiously she clung to Seto's arm as they made their way inside the gymnasium, where the dance was being held. As soon as they entered Keira let her eyes wonder around the room. It was a relatively large gym for a high school. There were the standard dance decorations; streamers and such, strewn about and hanging from the ceiling. Towards one end of the room there were several, large round-tables for guests to sit, and in the opposite corner just outside the gym was a refreshment table. The music was being broadcast form a DJ table on the same side. In her opinion it was a nice set up. 

"Keira that hurts." Seto hissed through clenched teeth once they reached the safety of the indoors. Keira flushed and released his arm. 

          "Sorry," she apologized as her gaze fell to the floor. "I don't like being stared at. It makes me nervous." Seto patted her lightly on the shoulder. 

          "Don't worry about them," he assured her "They're probably just jealous." Keira smiled weakly at the unexpected complement. 

          "Oh…thanks. I just hope no one else makes a big deal out of it." 

No sooner had the words left her mouth then Yugi, Tea, Tristen and Joey noticed their presence and immediately came over. 

          "Wow Keira!" Yugi cheered, "You look great!" Seto laughed quietly and poked her gently in the ribs with his elbow. 

          "You see." Keira felt herself blush again. Though Yugi's over-enthusiasm was embarrassing it wasn't nearly as bad as the jaw-dropped stares she was receiving from Tristen and especially Joey. 

          "Come on guys," Tea finally broke up the gathering, "we saved a table over there."

Keira had never known time to fly so quickly until that evening. Surprisingly the dance was much more enjoyable then she had imagined. She and Seto chatted up a storm while Tea ruled the dance floor, Joey the refreshments, and Tristen the flirting rounds. The only individual that didn't seem to be enjoying himself was Yugi. He spent a majority of his time on the sidelines watching Tea from a distance. Keira felt a swell of pity for the youth; it was a shame to see him so lonely and depressed. Keira observed him from time to time and was quick to notice Yugi's increased shyness when around Tea. Keira's intuition interpreted what her eyes took in. Yugi had a major crush on Tea, and he wanted to ask her to dance, but he always lost his nerve. A typical scenario, and one she planned to take charge of. 

          Keira casually mentioned Yugi's wish to Tea as they made their way to the refreshments. Then when Tea was distracted Keira hastily returned to the table where Yugi had seated himself, to nudge him in the right direction if necessary. When Tea returned she greeted Yugi with a shy smile. 

          "Did you want to dance Yugi?" she asked. Yugi was understandably speechless, so Keira took it upon herself to answer for him. 

          "He'd love too!" she replied, simultaneously nudging Yugi forward. Yugi finally did manage a nod half way to the dance floor. As the pair walked off, Keira couldn't resist giggling at the cute scene. Seto watched them too, and caught on immediately to Keira's romantic scheming. 

"It's not nice to play matchmaker you know," he remarked as he leaned back in his chair.  

"Who's playing? Those two are destined for each other," Keira argued. Then she added innocently "…I'm just…helping them realize it." Seto couldn't resist laughing at the ridiculous theory.  

"Destined? Right" he scoffed. Keira glanced at Seto as she took a sip of punch.  

"Why so skeptical?" Seto raised and eyebrow.  

"Don't you think you're over exaggerating?" Keira rested her elbows on the table and stretched out her slender arms. 

"Not at all. I think everyone has a destined soul-mate." Keira turned her sights once again on Tea and Yugi on the dance floor. "The only hard part is finding them…and once you do find them, making the realization that they are meant to be yours." Her philosophy practically flowed from her mouth and the silence that followed only enhanced the effect. She stopped once she realized how airy she must have sounded. Here they were at a school dance, and she was blabbing about something Seto didn't even care about. She was too busy watching Yugi attempt to dance with rhythm that she didn't notice the tender look on Seto's face, and the longing in his eyes. 

The atmosphere was broken suddenly when Yugi tripped over his own feet and fell clumsily to the floor. Keira felt sympathy for Yugi and his clumsiness, Seto just laughed. 

"Oh!" Keira punched him lightly in the arm. "Like you could do better!"

"As a matter of fact…"  Seto was about to counter the challenge when suddenly Joey Wheeler's grinning face distracted him. During their conversation, Joey had appeared out of nowhere and somehow managed to wedge himself next to Keira. 

          "Hi gorgeous!" he beamed in a very obnoxious manner as he rested his arm on Keira's shoulders. Keira managed a hideous face when Joey wasn't looking. 

          "Eh…hello Joey," came her unenthusiastic and slightly repulsed response as she delicately plucked Joey's arm off of her shoulder. Joey didn't seem the least bit deterred, and continued on as if nothing had happened. 

          "I uh…noticed you weren't dancing." he began, trying unsuccessfully to sound suave and elegant. 

          "Very observant," was Keira's reply. She knew what Joey was getting at, and was furiously trying to think of counter measures. 

          "Whadoya say you and I dance?" It was the question Keira had been dreading. 

          "I would…" she began hoping that a believable excuse would jump into her head. No such luck. "But I can't." the response was flat, but nonetheless hinted of her distaste. Unfortunately, Joey was never one to pick up on things very quickly. 

          "Why's that?" he inquired. Keira bit her lip. Why? That was the all-important question wasn't it? Why? Keira thought hard. What reason could she blurt out that Joey would believe? 

          "Because she's dancing with me, that's why." Seto interrupted and answered Joey's question for her. 

"I am?" Keira looked at him skeptically, then back at Joey. The choice between the two was no contest. "Oh yes…uh sorry Joey, Seto already asked." At the mention of his name, Seto rose and offered his elbow, which Keira took graciously. The pair then journeyed to the dance floor, leaving Joey behind sulking pitifully. 

          Once on the floor, Keira and Seto passed Yugi and Tea, who were busy trying to recuperate after Yugi's embarrassing fall. Seto paid Yugi little notice, but Yugi seemed to take special interest in them; perhaps he could follow their example.  

          As a new song began to play softly in the background, Keira noticed Joey out of the corner of her eye. He was whining to Tristen while simultaneously stuffing his face with the snacks his friend had brought with him. Extremely relieved at having escaped certain embarrassment, she breathed out an immense sigh. 

          "Thanks for…er…. rescuing me from Wheeler," Keira muttered softly to Seto. She was half expecting him to reply with a sarcastic remark, but instead she got a compassionate smile. 

          "No problem" Kaiba assured her. 

Seto and Keira started to dance ballroom style, but their movements were jerky. Each knew the steps, and when to make them, but nether was keen on adjusting to the other, not with the prying eyes around them. Every step had to be strategically placed to avoid any and all embarrassment. 

          The nervousness in Keira's eyes was subtle, but Seto noticed it, at the same time realized that he too was noticeably tense. Casually he tried to relax, hoping to convey the message to Keira that she should do the same. His tactic worked. Gradually their movement smoothed out until their dance seemed flawless. As the pair drifted they eventually lost concern over formalities and for those around them. As the music continued to play, Seto and Keira glided along effortlessly to the rhythm, each seeming to anticipate the others movements. Other dancers paused to watch, entranced by their elegance. Before long, all eyes were on them, but nether Keira nor Seto noticed. To them, the world had become a blur. 

Seto stared deep into Keira's silver blue eyes. They were soft, tender and more beautiful then he had ever realized. Gently, he tightened his grip on her hand as they continued to move.  The warmth of her skin was so comforting, just being there with her made him calm and happy. Her presence alone was intoxicating. Seto leaned his face close to Keira's, suddenly aware of how badly he wanted to reach her. It was as if his very soul was crying out for her affection…if only hers would answer.

The dance was interrupted suddenly by an eruption of clapping. Keira blinked and was immediately startled when she realized her face was inches away from Seto's. Embarrassed, she pulled away and simultaneously looked around the room. Her embarrassment was amplified when she realized nearly everyone there had been watching them. Trying to salvage what little composure she had left, Keira smiled casually at Seto before she made a hasty exit off the floor. Seto followed suit, but in the opposite direction. He intended to find safety back at the table, but when he arrived he received an array of looks from Yugi and his friends. 

"Wow Kaiba," Yugi remarked in a friendly and slightly jealous manner, "I didn't think you'd be so good on the dance floor." 

Seto turned up his nose snobbishly.

"It was no big deal." Joey narrowed his eyes into a goofy expression. He didn't believe Seto's bravado for an instant. 

"Oh yeah hot shot, then why are you sweating?" Kaiba balled his hands into fists and was about to yell at Joey for the disrespect when suddenly he realized his palms were wet. He _was_ sweating! Seto looked down at his hands in disbelief. What was happening to him?


	17. chapter 17

Chapter 17

Elsewhere Keira had retreated to a quiet corner near the refreshment table. She waited until the crowd settled, before she dare immerge from the shadows. Unfortunately her performance would not be that easily forgotten. Tea bounded over to her grinning from ear to ear. 

"Wow you're a great dancer! You make it look so easy!" Tea exclaimed happily. Keira fidgeted nervously at the complement.

"Uh…thanks…I guess." 

"No I mean it! You guys were great!" Tea insisted as she and Keira started to make their way over to the table. There effort was cut short when they caught the eye of three rowdy students. The three boys were a grimy looking bunch, most likely upper class flunkies. As she and Tea walked past they acted typically snickering, whistling and making obnoxious flirty comments. Keira gave the three her usual treatment; she ignored them and continued to walk forward. Tea clung to Keira's side nervously; she knew this group, they would not be ignored. 

          Keira stopped when the three boys positioned themselves in front of her and Tea. The healer remained motionless even when the ringleader approached her. He got within a foot of her face before he finally spoke. 

          "Hiya hottie, why don't you and your little friend come show us some of your dance moves."  Keira moved only her eyes, and they were cold and intolerant. 

          "I don't think so. Now let us pass." The punk seemed amused by her demand rather then intimidated. He was so amused in fact that he and his two buddies started to laugh. 

          "Well aren't you the tough one! What are you gonna do if I don't huh? Hit me with your purse?" the mocking comment evoked a roar of hysteria from all three boys. Keira watched them with cold eyes. She hated to waste energy on people like them, but she also had little patience for immature teenagers. Swiftly she reached out and seized the leader by the front of his shirt and hoisted him off his feet. The bunch stopped laughing immediately as Keira stared into the eyes of her captive. When she spoke, her voice was a stern and bitter as before. 

          "I _said_, step aside." Keira turned and dropped the bully onto the floor. As his two companions rushed over, Keira grabbed Tea by the wrist and they resumed walking. Behind them, she and Tea could hear the bullies muffled remarks. 

          "You gonna let her do that to you man?" one was saying.

          "Yeah teach her a lesson!" another chimed in. furious at the humiliation, the leader got to his feet and charged after Keira. 

          "Hey! Get back here!" he ordered. Keira ignored his demand and continued walking. "Didn't you hear me?" the bully continued as he marched forward. Keira wanted to laugh. Of course she could hear him, everyone in the gym could hear his childish shouting. But was she listening…. no. 

          Enraged, the bully finally lunged at her. Keira had seen the attack coming. That punk was too macho to not try something drastic, especially after she had ignored him. On top of that, Tea's frightened body language gave it away even before her cry of alarm. Keira turned and caught his fist before it even came close to her face. She then gave his arm a good twist, to painfully halt any counter attacks. 

          "Kid this is one fight you don't want to get into, trust me." Keira shoved the bully backwards, sending him sprawling to the floor. The stunned boy looked at his throbbing wrist, then back at Keira. To her surprise, a grin slowly crept across his face. 

          "Wait a minute…I know you" he sneered. Then he shouted over his shoulder to his companions. "Hey boys, she's the one who helped the Kaiba brat!" the other two formed grins of their own, as their battle drive was suddenly fueled with revenge. Keira squinted. So these were the three bullies who had attacked Mokuba. Judging by their attitudes they hadn't changed much. 

          The lead bully stepped forward. Despite his humiliation a few seconds before, he resumed his controlling tone of voice. 

          "So we meet again…and this time you don't have your wolf to protect you." Keira smirked. Was that supposed to sound threatening? 

          "As I recall…I didn't need Silver to beat you." the leader was infuriated. 

          "Eerr! You'll pay for that! Lets get her boys!" as the three assumed their battle stances; someone in the gathering audience started a chant. 

          "Fight!" the crowd shouted almost rhythmically. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Keira crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself, but at this point, it was either do that or get clobbered. One sweep with her eyes and she noticed that Tea had managed to get away. She would alert Yugi and the others for backup. Until then, perhaps a good trashing would teach these three a well-disserved lesson in manners. 

          Keira tensed herself for battle as the ringleader charged forward. He reared his arm back for a hard punch. Keira ducked seconds before the boy's fist collided with her head. As his blow hit nothing but air, Keira nailed her attacker hard in the stomach with her elbow. Then after grabbing his shirt collar in one hand, Keira flipped the pale faced and gasping punk over her shoulders. The stunned bully landed a few yards away, just in front of the crowd. Another attack, this time from the leaders enraged sidekick. He flew at her in a fury, tossing punches left and right. Keira dodged from side to side, rapidly avoiding each strike. This one didn't seem to be as skilled a fighter, so Keira defeated him quickly with a well-aimed strike to the chest. The blow sent the stunned fighter toppling backwards. Now there was only one more to deal with…or so she thought. She heard the approach from behind, but she couldn't react fast enough. Keira turned just in time to see the leaders fist aimed at her face. She wouldn't be able to escape his wrath this time. 

          Smack! The lead punk's body flew forcefully to the side. Keira looked on as Seto Kaiba stood where the bully had been seconds before. Smiling slyly, Kaiba cracked his knuckles as if to emphasize the ease with which he had just knocked out Keira's attacker. The healer scowled angrily. 

          "I don't need your help you know!" she grumbled. Seto smirked; that sounded like something he would say. 

          "Who said I was helping you? I was getting refreshments and that guy just happened to be in my way." Keira had to smile at that one. Seto knew better by now not to insult her pride or question her skill as a fighter. 

          The third bully was a hulking brute, large and powerful, capable of doing serious damage if given the opportunity. Keira focused her energy and thoughts. She knew better then to take this opponent lightly. Seto on the other hand, was a little too cocky. As the third punk ran forward, both avoided the charge, but Seto didn't anticipate that this remarkably large boy would also have very good reflexes. The boy rotated around simultaneously lashing out with both fists.  Seto took a hard smack to the chest and was thrown completely off his feet. He landed on his back, but no sooner had he hit the floor, then the bully seized him by the throat with one of his massive hands, and reared back to strike with the other. 

          Before he could land the final blow, however, Keira ran forward and flung herself onto his coiled arm. She had meant to stop the assault entirely so Seto could free himself, but she too had blundered. Her weight did not faze the boy. He managed to keep his wrist suspended, even with Keira hanging off of it, and he was still planning on attacking Kaiba. Surprised and suddenly finding herself out of options, Keira fought with the only weapon she could think of. With sudden force, she sank her teeth and nails into the punk's wrist. The jolt of pain sent the boy into a fit of flailing. As Keira herself was flung into the crowd, Seto managed to squirm free. One well aimed punch, and the third bully was out cold. That settled that. 

          Cheers erupted from the surrounding audience as the defeated trio came to their senses and finally slinked off. Seto brushed off the applause and started to head outside to get away from the immature high schoolers. Yugi, Tea and Tristen all breathed sighs of relief now that it was over and the three bullies had gotten a taste of their own medicine. And Joey…Joey grinned from ear to ear. When Keira had been thrown back into the crowd, he had been the one who caught her. She was still a little dazed, and was just getting her bearings when Joey's face came into focus. 

"He he nice catch huh?" Joey beamed. Keira quickly snapped into reality and realized that of all places, she was in Joey's lap. 

"Eww get off of me!" she yelled as she planted her hand in the middle of Joey's grin and shoved him backwards. Then after getting to her feet and lightly brushing herself off, Keira decided to journey outside to cool off and get some fresh air. Yugi and the others remained inside. They were quite content to watch as the three bullies had to face the wrath of the school principle. 

          Outside the night was calm and cool, and the fresh air a welcome relief. Keira found Seto leaning against the school's outer wall and gazing up at the stars. She walked over and joined him, resting her tired shoulders on the cool bricks. Kaiba glanced at her as the light from stars flickered across her face and shoulders. It made her look even more radiant. Seto stared at his feet. Something was nagging at the back of his mind. He wanted to tell Keira, but he wasn't even sure how or where to start, especially since he himself didn't completely understand. But now was the perfect opportunity, he couldn't afford to waste it. 

          "Hey Keira?"  

          "Hmm?" 

          "What you said about destiny..." Seto began trying not to sound nervous. 

          "Yeah?" Keira's calm voice made Kaiba less uneasy. 

          "Do you really think its true?" Keira glanced over at Seto. The conversation topic was an unexpected one. 

          "In some ways yes. I feel every being has a destiny in life, but how each decides to face it is the individual's choice." Keira paused, there she was blabbing again. "Anyway…why are you so curious? I thought you didn't believe in destiny Seto." Kaiba averted his eyes. 

          "I don't…I mean…I didn't…" Keira watched his face curiously. Was he actually blushing? Or was it the night playing tricks on her? In either case, she wondered what had prompted Seto's sudden change of heart, he was too stubborn to just suddenly change his way of thinking. Surly it wasn't her lecturing…was it?

          "What happened that made you change your mind?" Keira asked as she turned in Seto's direction and gently rested her cheek against the wall. Kaiba finally turned his gaze on her, his emotions beginning to perk. 

          "I met you." Keira stared at Seto utterly speechless. She hadn't known her presence had made so deep an impact on the Kaiba family. Part of her felt elated; it wasn't every day she felt so appreciated. But another part of her turned cold and sick. Hearing Seto admit his admiration for her created a heavy burden of guilt. It would make things all the harder when she had to say goodbye. 

          "How touching!" an eerie voice suddenly sounded in the night. Keira turned and not ten feet away from them stood a rare hunter. The cloaked figure's face was completely hidden, except for a few strands of white hair draping out of the hood. He was poised and alert. In his right hand was a glittering golden axe with a millennium symbol on it. Keira felt the power and evil energy blazing within him and it made her shudder. This rare hunters presence seemed strangely familiar. 

          "I've been looking for you shadow healer." Malik stated. Keira balled her hands into fists as the strangers voice and dark power started to pull at her memory. Suddenly the terrifying night at the Kaiba mansion and the incident at the café flashed into her mind. She remembered that energy; the cold grip it had on her mind, and the sting it left afterwards. 

          "YOU!" Keira snapped, now clear on the identify of her attacker. 

          "So you remember…I'm flattered." Something about the tone in his voice must have clued Seto into the situation, because he stood defensively in front of Keira. 

          "Listen rare hunter you'd better leave her alone…otherwise…" Seto's eyes gleamed with danger, "you'll have me to contend with." the hunter was not impressed. 

          "Spare me your heroism Kaiba, Its not you I'm after." Malik growled in annoyance. Kaiba was a nuisance best dealt with quickly so that he could finish the task at hand. Holding up his millennium rod, Malik shot out a blast of power from it that would send Kaiba directly to the shadow realm. No messy or draining mind tricks were necessary. Seto stared wide-eyed as a blinding flash of golden light flew directly at him. The blast was on target, but instead of hitting Kaiba, it struck and invisible barrier. The impact triggered a large explosion that filled the air with light and smoke. Malik watched intently, waiting to see the result of his attack. When the smoke cleared, Malik glared in anger. Seto Kaiba was alive and untouched. Surrounding him was a faintly glowing force field of power, and clinging tightly around his waist was the source of the shield. The healer symbol was shining brightly on Keira's head as she kept her arms tightly locked around Seto. It had taken a great deal of energy, but at least he was safe. 

The fore field disappeared along with Keira's strength. The healer symbol grew weaker, and she let herself sink to the ground. Seto stood his ground. He was both horrified and infuriated by what had just happened, and he would make sure it didn't happen again, even if he had to fight that hunter to the death. 

Malik was uninterested in Seto's display. He was more amused by Keira's act of self-sacrifice. 

"An unwise move shadow healer. You've wasted all your energy protecting this mortal, and no doubt it will be the end of both of you." Keira could only watch as the rare hunter taunted her, she was desperately trying to regain her second wind, but her time was growing short. The rare hunter stepped forward, his blue eyes gleaming from under his hood.

"In your weakened state conquering you will be childs' play! And as for you Kaiba, you will join my army of mind slaves!" Malik's plans were interrupted by an angry shout. 

          "Hold it right there!" Yami-Yugi's demand rang through the air. It was followed by the sound of racing footsteps. Malik glanced over in the voices direction. His eyes widened when he recognized the pharaoh. Yami-Yugi stopped and stood next to Kaiba, while Joey and Tristen stood a short distance behind to watch Tea as she checked on Keira. Yami had sensed the rare hunters power as he approached, and the explosion confirmed his observation of an unwonted intruder. 

          "Well if it isn't the pharaoh himself… how…convenient." 

          "What do you want?" Yami-Yugi asked or rather demanded. Malik tapped the millennium rod lightly in his other hand. 

          "Patience Yami very soon you'll find out that answer for yourself. In the meantime, I'm taking the shadow healer!" Seto was infuriated. 

          "Over my dead body you are!" Malik laughed evilly. 

          "Funny you should mention it Kaiba…for that is exactly how I plan to break her will!" Malik held up his golden weapon, it was time to recruit his newest mind slave. Seto braced himself, ready to fight whatever attack the rare hunter planned to use. The millennium rod shimmered, emitting its mind ensnaring power, but surprisingly the energy had no effect. Malik scowled, how could his millennium item fail? It was not possible. The rare hunter peered closer at Seto. There was a strange, abnormal energy being emitted by a charm around his neck that shielded his mind from the rods effects. 

          "No!" Malik growled when he recognized the pendent. It was a crypt creeper fang. Keira's laugh caught Malik by surprise. She was on her feet, though still to wobbly to stand by herself. Tea and Tristen supported her from either side. The healer symbol flickered lightly on her forehead.

          "Surprised? Did you really think I'd let such rare ingredients go to waste?" Malik said nothing, a response that delighted Keira. "I guess I should actually _thank you_ for sending those creepers to destroy me," her mocking tone was bringing Malik to his breaking point. She may have outsmarted him this time, but he was bound and determined to break her spirit and with her powers at his disposal, claim Yami's power. He just needed another tactic. And Yami's friends were it. 

          "You may have been able to protect him shadow healer…but what of these other innocents here…how will you protect them?" Keira felt a lump start to build in her stomach. Tea, Joey and Tristen were completely unprotected, and she didn't have the strength to keep them safe. Malik's plan did more then anger Keira; it enraged Yami-Yugi as well. 

          "You leave them out of this!" he growled fiercely as he took a step forward. Malik was not impressed with Yami's threat, especially since he not only had the upper hand; he had inadvertently discovered the pharaoh's greatest weakness. 

          "Or you'll do what? You don't even understand the power you hold Yami, how do you plan on stopping me?" Malik smirked as Yami clenched his teeth. "That's right…" he continued to gloat, "you can't." Malik turned his shimmering eyes on Keira "and neither can you shadow healer. Unless you surrender, these three will become my mind slaves…forever!" 

Keira clenched her teeth tightly. She didn't know what to do. Giving into the rare hunter would kill her, but would she really be able to live with herself if she allowed innocents to die on her behalf? Yami-yogi pointed an accusing finger at Malik. 

          "I won't let you hurt them!" Malik raised the millennium rod high in the air as it started to shimmer with light. 

          "You don't have a choice!" Keira's heart was racing. She couldn't let this happen…she couldn't! Closing her eyes tightly, she tapped into the deepest recesses of her powers. In the same instant, Yami's puzzle started to glow. Keira focused her energy on the artifact. She felt horrible, as if she was betraying herself and her freedom. But it was the last resort.  By merging with Yami and surrendering all her powers to him, she was submitting to her heritage as a slave; but it was the only option left.


	18. chapter 18

Chapter 18

Yami-Yugi blinked as his body was filled with an unexpected surge of energy. Deep in his mind both he and young Yugi looked on as each of their chambers opened and flooded with a blinding light. Through the glare, Yami could see a cloaked figure approaching him. As they got closer he recognized the intruder…it was Keira. She was dressed in flowing auburn cloth, and the symbol of her birthright shone brightly on her head. Yami stood motionless as she approached. When Keira spoke, she filled the chamber with her golden flowing voice. 

          "I've come to help you pharaoh." Yami said nothing, only watched her curiously as she continued to approach. Keira stretched out her arms and rested her hands on either side of Yami's face. At first he tried to pull away, but he was soon calmed by Keira's soothing aura. Slowly she leaned over and gently kissed his forehead. As she did, she whispered.

          "Let our minds be one." Once again the chambers of Yami-Yugi's mind were filled with bright light. 

That same light poured from the millennium puzzle, consuming Yami in its bright glow. When the light faded, a new figure stood where Yami had been seconds before. This individual looked similar to Yami; he had the same hair except the very tips were snow white. His pointed bangs were also white, and two strands had grown long and wispy, hanging down just past his shoulders. The style greatly accented his eyes, which were silver blue.  His outfit was also familiar, but slightly different. He was dressed in white flowing Egyptian style garments. On the front of his outfit was the crest of the shadow healers, and on his forehead, the millennium symbol. 

Malik knew what had happened, and he was appalled. To Joey and the others however this situation was completely foreign. 

"Yug? Is that you?" Joey babbled in disbelief. The figure turned briefly to acknowledge Joey 

          "I am shadow Yami," he said. His voice sounded like an echoy blend of Yami, Yugi, and Keira. He quickly set his sights back on Malik. "And you do not belong here!" Malik started to back away nervously. Not even his power could stand up against the pharaoh now that he had merged with the shadow healer. Shadow Yami held up his arm as sparks of white-light energy spread upward to his outstretched fingers. "I banish you the shadow realm!" he cried as the energy formed into a sphere at the tips of his fingers. Malik whirled around and tried to sprint to safety, but it was to late. Shadow Yami lowered his arm and sent the ball of power flying at the rare hunter. It struck in the back with such force that his millennium rod flew from his hand. He cried out as his entire body was consumed in light. It was the last thing shadow Yami saw, before he too was surrounded by the glow of power. After that, the world turned fuzzy and black…  

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Malik screamed as he was hurled deep into the recesses of the shadow realm. When he awoke, he met the angry gaze of the healer's blue eyes white dragon. Malik tried to scramble away as the monster lunged at him with open jaws…

"Keira!" the healers mind perked when she heard her name. "Keira!" slowly Keira came to full consciousness and opened her eyes. Seto and Tristen were leaning over her. Though it was growing dark, she could still recognize their expressions of concern. 

          "Hey are you okay?" Tristen asked. Keira wanted to answer, but her body wouldn't corporate. So she had to make due with a subtle nod. Gently Seto helped her into a sitting position. Every part of her hurt terribly; as if her very soul was on fire. A short ways away, Keira could make out the forms of Joey and Tea. They were crouched over a small limp body. 

          "Yugi! Yugi!" Tea was crying desperately her voice filled with worry. "Yugi! Please answer me!" Keira blinked slowly as her memory started to return. She had used her powers to merge with Yami then… Keira turned her head and glanced over to where Malik had been. The only trace of him that remained was his cloak, which lay on the ground in a heap. She looked back at Yugi who was still lying motionless. Apparently she had tapped too deeply into his powers when she merged. The increased energy was too much for him to maintain. 

          "He'll be alright." Keira said when she finally found her voice. Tea looked over at her hopefully, her eyes brimmed with tears. "He just used too much energy that's all. Give him a few minutes to recuperate." 

Sure enough, within five minutes Yugi had come to his senses, much to the relief of his friends. A heartfelt reunion with his buddies seemed to improve Yugi's stamina immensely, and before long, he was back to his old self. At Joey's suggestion, the group decided to head back inside to get Yugi some well deserved sweets in honor of his victory. They extended a similar invitation to Keira but she declined. Junk food was the last thing on her mind, especially when an even greater prize awaited her in Malik's cloak. 

          As the others headed inside, Seto followed them at Keira's request to get her some water. While they were gone, she shakily journeyed over the ownerless cloak. Sure enough, tucked inside one of the folds where the two cards she had sensed there. Even now, with their power dormant, Keira still felt the unmistakable vibrations of the two Egyptian god cards that had tried to kill her. Carefully Keira tucked the cards away under her fur shawl, just as Seto reappeared. Keira picked up Malik's cloak and folded it in her hands as she approached the steps where Seto was waiting. Then, feeling herself start to tire again, Keira sat down and took the drink. Seto sat beside her. 

          "Why was he after you?" he asked as she finished the water. Keira wiped her face with her wrist, then ran her fingertips over the smooth pile of fabric in her lap. A swell of sadness started to build inside her. She could no longer hide the truth from Seto. Sooner or later, he would discover the secrets she had been hiding, and she would rather he hear them from her. 

          "The same reason everyone else is. He wanted to use my powers to make himself stronger." Seto was speechless, and his reaction irritated Keira. "Why do you seem surprised?" she asked with a note of sarcasm in her voice. "Isn't that why you hired me? To use my powers to get the cards you want?" Seto looked away. He was ashamed to think that those were his original motives. Things were different now. Keira sighed heavily. "But a promise is a promise." Carefully she reached under her shawl and pulled out the two god cards. She held them up for Kaiba to see. Seto was stunned. 

"Where did you find them!" he exclaimed as he stared wide-eyed at the treasures Keira held in her fingers. 

"What does it matter they're yours now." Keira opened Seto's right hand and placed the cards into his palm. Seto looked down at the creatures he held. Each one was in itself unstoppable, and he had all three! Kaiba carefully placed the cards in his pocket. He clearly had made the right choice in hiring Keira. It made him think back to when she first accepted the job. She promised to deliver the god cards at the price of two blue eyes white dragons. Back then Seto had accepted the deal without the intentions of actually fulfilling his part of the bargain. But considering all the work Keira had done, and since he had the god cards now and he really didn't need the blue eyes in his deck… he supposed he could part with them. It was a hard decision but it would make him feel better knowing that his dragons were going to a trusted friend. 

"Well…" Seto began "I guess I have a promise to keep as well."  Keira stared at him for a second, before she shook her head lightly. She knew Seto's attachments to his blue eyes better then he himself did. Kaiba would not part with them, not even for her sake. 

"Your not going to keep your word, your blue eyes mean to much to you." Seto was shocked and slightly angry. Apparently his scheming had not gone unnoticed. Why then did Keira agree to the terms if she knew he was thinking about double-crossing her? It didn't make sense!

"If you knew I was lieing…then why did you help me?" he demanded. Keira felt tears form at the back of her eyes. She didn't have an explanation for Kaiba. In fact her own behavior was puzzling her. 

"That's the thing.... I don't know!" she blurted out. Keira was trying hard to stay composed, but her emotions were beginning to rage inside. All she wanted was someone she could trust, someone who was her equal. Perhaps her instincts had seen that in Kaiba, and that why she agreed. But he wouldn't believe that. Why would he?  Keira clenched her hands into tight fists. This always seemed to be her fate! Every time something good happened, it would end up seeming like a lie. Keira held back a sob. 

"I mean why would I think you… of all people… would be any different…when not even my own guardian would treat me like anything more then a tool!" Keira clamped her mouth shut. Had she really said that out loud? Seto looked at her in astonishment. 

"You…. you do remember your family!" Keira lowered her eyes. The conversation had taken a drastic turn, one she wasn't prepared for, but could see no way out of.  

"Yes I remember. She was one of the luckiest, most prosperous people because she possessed a child with mysterious medicinal powers. Rich families paid well to have their loved ones cured of illness or given youth once again." Keira stood and walked a short distance away. She couldn't let Seto see her this emotional. Thankfully Seto didn't fallow. He was still mulling over what she had just said. Keira didn't know how big of an impact her story had, until Seto spoke again. His voice was full of hurt and disbelief. 

"They used you…. your own family!" Keira tried hard to fight back the tears. 

"Why do you think I became a rouge? I learned at an early age never to get settled or attached…all it would do was lead to more pain."  

Seto felt his heart sink and his body go numb. Suddenly he hated every inch of himself for even thinking of using Keira's powers for his own benefit. He was no better then those others who had hurt her. Kaiba felt chills down his spine when he recalled the previous conversation…when he admitted his original plans of deceit. His words must have pierced her heart like a dagger. And what made things worse is that she had come to be his friend. She had learned to trust him even after her family's cold treatment. 

          Seto rubbed a sleeve across his watering eyes. That thought upset him most. He couldn't imagine life without a family. He had faced many hardships himself, but even in the worst times, he always had Mokuba to stand by him. Having a family…knowing that there was always someone to rely on…someone to care about and depend on you…. was what gave him hope and inspired his greatest ideas. It broke his heart to know Keira had none of it. Seto looked up at Keira, she was trembling. 

          "You're shivering…" Seto observed. Keira didn't move. 

"I'm fine," she responded coldly. Kaiba recalled hearing that before, and he knew she didn't mean it. Slowly he approached and after removing his jacket, placed it lightly over Keira's shoulders. 

Keira flinched hard when the coat touched her, but she calmed down as the gesture dawned on her. Perhaps she wasn't giving Seto enough of a chance. Yes he had planned on tricking her, but he had obviously changed since then. She had practically seen him change with her own eyes. Keira closed her eyes and let the building tears escape. Had she become so guarded that she lost her ability to forgive? 

Light thunder rumbled in the background and dark swollen clouds swirled in the sky. Several tears struck the pavement but no sooner had they landed then a gentle rain started up, masking their appearance from Seto. 

"We should go inside," Keira said softly, "it's starting to rain." Seto nodded and guided Keira toward the door. On their way however, Yugi stepped into their path. He came out to see if Keira had recovered, but he was surprised to discover her eyes were red. 

          "Keira…. are you okay?" he asked showing deep concern. Seto glared. 

          "We're fine, not that it's any of your business Yugi." Keira was surprised by Seto's sudden change of attitude. Yugi had done nothing, and yet, Kaiba was treating him as if he was an enemy. Keira bit her lip. This was not the typical argument…these two were rivals. 

          "Take it easy Kaiba," Yugi held up his hands "I just wanted to see how Keira was doing." Seto continued to glare, and that made Keira nervous. Now that he had the Egyptian god cards Kaiba was practically itching for a confrontation. 

"Uh.... er…" Keira interrupted trying to break up the scuffle, "we had better get back inside before we get poured on!" Yugi nodded in agreement. 

"Good idea." Keira breathed out a sigh of relief. Battle over, at least for now. As they headed back inside, Keira couldn't shake the feeling that Yugi and Kaiba's apparent rivalry extended beyond a simple grudge. She felt a distinct hostility between Yami's spirit and Seto whenever the two were near each other. It was almost as if it had been played out before. Like their hatred was destined. 

          Keira felt her stomach sink. If Seto was reenacting some kind of event, she could not distract him from it. It could be disastrous, for Seto and possibly even the world, if he did not play out his role in history. Keira had no choice; she would have to leave that night. As much as it pained her to leave, she had fulfilled her business in that town, and it was time for her to move elsewhere.


	19. chapter 19

Chapter 19

These thoughts continued to weigh heavily on Keira's mind as they returned to the mansion, but she still tried to put on a nice face for Mokuba when he and Silver greeted them at the door. The she-wolf was not fooled however, and she stuck close to Keira as she excused herself up to bed. 

          The brothers watched the two as they headed upstairs. When they were completely out of sight, Mokuba finally let his curiosity burst. 

"Well, how did it go?" he asked intently. Seto let out a deep sigh and sluggishly traveled to the nearest couch on which he quickly planted himself. 

"I'm not sure what to do Mokuba." Seto admitted as he rubbed a hand over his tired face. Baffled, Mokuba came over and plopped himself next to his brother. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I finally have the cards I need to defeat Yugi." Seto began in a dull tone. As he spoke he carefully pulled the two god cards out of his pocket. He couldn't even bring himself to smile. "I should be happy but…I'm not." Mokuba was shocked by the sadness and confusion that echoed deep in his brother's voice. He had three of the rarest cards in duel monsters! His deck would be unbeatable in the tournament! What was there to be sad about? 

          A thought struck Mokuba. He tried to dismiss it at first; remembering that this was his brother after all. But the more he thought about it…the more it made sense. 

"Its Keira isn't it." Mokuba crooned softly. Seto turned and looked at his brother, but he couldn't respond. He couldn't deny it. Seeing his brother's lack of reaction, Mokuba's suspicion was confirmed. "You love her!" 

"Mokuba…." Seto tried to protest. Love was such a strong word after all. Even if he did feel a certain emotional connection with Keira…that didn't necessarily mean… Seto went pale. He…did love her. There was no avoiding it, no denying it, and no other way he could explain his feelings. Mokuba was right. He loved Keira with all his heart. 

"What…what do you think I should do?" he asked his younger in a soft, unsure voice. Seto blushed at his own confession, slightly ashamed that his brother would see him like this. Mokuba wasn't embarrassed by Seto's behavior; on the contrary he was determined to help. Silver and Keira had become some of his best friends, and he had never seen Seto so happy until they arrived. 

"That's easy!" he cried in a sudden burst of enthusiasm "Go to her! Tell her how you feel!" Seto hesitated and looked away. That task was far easier said then done. Mokuba grabbed Seto's arm and shook it to get his attention. 

"Come on Seto! You're not afraid of anything! This should be easy!" Seto looked into his brother's face. Mokuba's confidence in him was reassuring, but it didn't change the fact that he had to confess his deepest emotions to Keira. What if she thought it was a joke…or worse...rejected him completely. He wasn't sure if he could take it. Seto sighed heavily and rose to his feet. There was only one way to find out. Under Mokuba's reassuring gaze, Seto started up the stairs. 

As he approached Keira's bedroom, a sickening lump started to grow in Seto's stomach. From that point on, there would be no turning back. Gently he knocked. There was no answer. She was probably asleep. Kaiba took in a deep breath and knocked again, this time a little louder. There was still no reply. Seto reached down and tried the doorknob; it was unlocked. Slowly he opened the door and peered inside. His heart sank. The room was empty. Seto opened the door wider and stepped inside. The sound of flapping directed his attention to one of the far windows. It was wide open, and a gentle breeze was blowing the drapery. As he approached to shut the window, he noticed a small piece of paper resting neatly on the windowsill. Seto picked up the note; he recognized Keira's handwriting. 

_-Seto, thank you for all your hospitality. I have to leave you now; there are greater forces at work here. I would only get in the way of your future, your destiny. Fight hard, remember your dreams, and never surrender. Say goodbye to Mokuba for me- _

_Yours _

_Keira_

At the same time in the rare hunters hideout a fare-skinned, red headed, woman sat motionless in Malik's throne. She stared calmly out in front of her, as if in a trance, her red eyes intent and focused. Suddenly a spark of light flickered in the empty space she was staring at. The woman narrowed her eyes, concentrating on the energy until it finally opened into a bright swirling portal. Unalarmed, the woman stood and approached the vortex. Once she reached an adequate distance, she pulled a golden whip off the belt. With incredible dexterity she lashed out strait into the glowing rift. After a few seconds, the whip grew taught, the signal to its handler that the quarry had been captured. The final task remaining was to pull it through. 

          As the woman slowly recoiled the weapon, a human form became visible in the bright opening.  Their hand was first to break the portals surface and extend into the living world; it was around their wrist that the golden whip was tied. Unable to resist the pull of the weapon, the vortex slowly relinquished its prisoner, who eventually fell to the ground, gasping in relief. 

          "Its about time! What took you so long!" the figure stood and untied the whip from his wrist. The woman smiled lightly then cracked her weapon on the ground, as she did, the portal vanished. 

          "Sorry Malik, the shadow realm is vast. It took me a while to find you." 

          Malik turned up his nose, as he tossed a rare hunters cloak over his bare shoulders. 

          "And still you managed…I did well when I choose you as an ally." The woman smiled coyly as she pulled out a familiar golden object from off of her belt. It was the millennium rod. 

          "I've kept it safe, just like I promised." Malik approached and took the item. 

          "And I intend to keep my end of the bargain. I will deliver you the shadow healer and I will make sure she will never leave you again." 

It was early morning. The sun was just visible over the horizon as Keira and Silver reached the city limits. Slowly the duo turned and watched as the golden orb continued to peek its head over the skyscrapers. It was hard to believe that only two weeks had past since they first set eyes on that peaceful town. Keira lowered her brown satin hood and let the bright day cover her face. Who could have imagined she's leave this place with so many memories. 

          Keira smiled as Silver gently nuzzled up against her. The journey had been a pleasant surprise for the both of them. But now this quest was over. The battle city tournament started today, and that was there cue to leave. A slight wind picked up, rustling the leaves into a soothing chorus. Keira closed her eyes and listened intently. Mixed in with the winds soft whispers, was the faint cry of a duel monster. Keira listened harder, trying to identify the creature and where it was calling from. The cry grew louder. It was coming from Domino, the town they had just left. And the monster…Keira strained to hear…monsters calling her were…Seto Kaiba's blue eyes white dragons! 

          Keira was baffled. Why would Seto's beasts summon her? They were perfectly healthy, and they were about to go into battle. The monsters were neither hurt, nor unhappy… they had no reason to see her. 

          _"They call on behalf of their master."_ Silver interrupted Keira's thoughts with the reason her friend had neglected to see. The healer said nothing, only looked at the wolf. Perhaps she had left to hastily. Her abrupt departure must have upset Seto…so much that his duel monsters felt the sorrow. She had hoped to spare everyone a prolonged departure but… Keira took in a deep breath. She supposed Kaiba at least deserved the chance to say goodbye to her in person.


	20. chapter 20

Chapter 20

Seto walked out of Kaiba Corp headquarters, briefcase and duel disk in hand. After long last, he could finally exact his revenge on Yugi and regain his title of number one duelist. Seto browsed the city with his eyes but clamped down hard on his emotions when he realized why he was doing it. Despite the reality that Keira had left, he still found himself looking around, hoping that he might catch a glimpse of her. The fact he had kept his feelings hidden worsened the situation. He kept wondering…would she have stayed if he had told her earlier? Did that make it his fault she left? Seto made a tight fist and shook away the thoughts. This was no time to start getting soft! Not with his victory so close. 

          "Hello Seto." A familiar feminine voice sounded behind him. Seto blinked. Had he just imagined that? No…it couldn't be! Kaiba whirled around and his eyes fell on Keira's face. The shock of seeing her again made Seto so overcome with lovesickness that his briefcase slipped from his fingers. 

"You…you came back!" he stammered, barely able to find his voice. Keira approached him slowly. Seeing his look of happiness and relief evoked a swell of sadness within her. The news of her leaving would surly break his heart…but it had to be done. 

"Only to wish you luck in your duels." Seto seemed to sense her intentions and he gazed at her with pitiful eyes. 

"Will I ever see you again?" Keira lowered her eyes. 

"I don't know," she replied. Keira took a step backwards. This was getting to be more painful then she had anticipated, and it was clear the longer she remained, the worse it would get. "Goodbye Seto." 

          Keira turned and started to walk away when suddenly she felt a hand grip her wrist. 

"Wait!" Seto was nearly pleading. "I…have to tell you something." Keira turned and stared up into Seto's eyes. They were deep, soft and filled with hidden affection. Keira realized what was coming, and she wasn't sure she was ready to hear it…not now…

"I'm not sure how to say this… Seto's could barely get the words out fast enough, "but…" Keira tried to keep herself composed as Seto leaned close to her. His gentle embrace was warm and true, something Keira had dreamt of…if she stayed…NO! Keira tried to keep herself focused. She couldn't. She had to stay collected. 

"You should go…" she whispered sternly "your tournament is about to start. I can't interfere with your destiny…" Seto pulled her closer, silver droplets shimmered at the corners of his eyes. 

"I may have a destiny, but that doesn't mean I have to face it alone." Keira's heart leap when she felt Seto's kiss. He had poured all his emotion into it, and she could feel each one as they pulsed through her blood. 

For a brief instant all she wanted to do was forget her decision, forget about destiny, forget everything… and just dissolve in that moment… of purest affection…all for her. Keira closed her eyes tightly as tears flowed down her cheeks. Why…why did things have to be this way? 

Yami Yugi strode forward, his duel disk clasped comfortably to his wrist. At long last it was time to begin the battle city tournament. The duels would be challenging but his deck had never let him down. Once he won the tournament, he would be able to realize his past, and fulfill his destiny. 

          A piercing howl rang through the morning sky, causing Yami to freeze in his tracks. He recognized that voice…it belonged to Silver. A gust of wind perked up and pulled playfully at his bangs. He could feel the she-wolfs spirit in the wind…she was bidding him farewell. Yami felt a familiar power poke lightly at his mind, and a soft voice sounded in his head. 

          "Yugi…good luck to you." Keira's unmistakable voice echoed lightly in his ears. "Remember your destiny…" the voice trailed off and the wind died. Yami looked off into the distance. 

          "I will. Thank you," he said softly. 

Seto walked down the street slowly. The same wind blew past his face, but he could not hear Keira or feel her spirit. She had left, this time for good. Her farewell words still burned in Seto's ears. 

          "You and you alone must face your destiny Seto. For that reason I cannot stay. But don't lose hope, perhaps our paths are fated to cross again." 

Seto took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. He would make sure of that. Keira didn't know it, but as she walked away, he had made a silent vow, which he recited over and over in his mind. 

          "Keira," he thought to himself, "as soon as the tournament is over and I reclaim my title, I _swear_ I'll come find you and bring you home." 


End file.
